Updates on the site have been few and far between the last couple months because of all the behind the scenes work going on researching and testing coatings, resin, and build platforms. So far we have found a lot of things and don’t work well but do have some leads on things that will. I have also experimented with 5 different platform materials and am making good headway on what will work best. Currently the Teflon coated glass seems to be out as a reservoir coating, the samples I received back from Orion Coatings in Chicago only to find the hard coating I asked for was an oily residue that wiped right off when I cleaned it with Isopropyl Alcohol. It was a major disappointment
Archives
Posts of prints and/or related media
Current Project State
There hasn’t been a lot to report lately as there have been a few hangups that are being worked through. We are currently awaiting a supply of glass from a coatings company in Chicago and when it arrives we will be hitting the ground running. Right now it seems like PDMS is not a very long lasting solution to the reservoir resin sticking problem. We really don’t want to release everything with a half-completed approach to one of the largest problems this technology has to overcome, so we wait. We are investing some more money into engineering samples for some great technology so we don’t really have too many worries about finding a solution. Once we have the sticking problem fixed then it will be
Parts List and Media
Since last night I have populated the media page with a good amount of images of the beta mUVe 1 3D printer. I also posted a rough list of the items purchased for the project so far, while it’s a bit messy it should include everything that I am currently using on the printer. So make sure you take a look at the “Software and Docs” page as well as the “Media” page, and check back frequently as I will be posting new information as quickly as I can. If anyone has anything to comment on or if you have any questions please feel free to email me, information for contact can be found on the “About Us” page.
Current Developments
I am in a bit of a stand-still right now since I am waiting on resin to arrive in the mail, I can’t continue testing without it. I have come up with a couple more ideas for an inexpensive case and ordered some material to give my theory a try. I think that the corrugated plastic holds the most potential as it is easily sourced and is really cheap, the most expensive piece of the case will be the amber plexiglass viewing window. I also saw an idea for a case framing system that I think can be 3D printed, I’m not sure if that would be any savings though as there would be a considerable amount of printing involved in those parts. I’m hoping
mUVe 1 – More First Tests
Since my last post I have extinguished my resin samples and have gone back to redesigning some of the parts to make things more rigid throughout the Z axis. I tried a couple non-stick release coatings for the reservoir as well as made a couple extra reservoirs in case there are issues. I’m thinking that staying with glass is going to be the best answer to keep costs down, it can be cut at lots of hardware stores and it’s available worldwide. I am waiting on a new nano-tech aerosol material that may work as a non-stick as well, in the end it may be the tried and true car windshield water repellent that works the best though. Cost of windshield water repellent is very
mUVe 1 – First Working Print
Here is some blurry cam of the first working print. It has been a difficult few weeks with a lot of problems and a lot of lessons learned. First, make sure that your reservoir is and stays liquid tight. Resin is messy and cleanup can be hard. 15 minute epoxy saves the day in this sort of situation, I think there is a small crack in my marine epoxy I used to make the container. It is likely due to the heating and cooling cycles since the start of print tests. Make sure you have a lot of Isopropyl Alcohol, I have an 11 Cup Pyrex container right now that I am using that is nearly full. The supplied lid seems to be keeping it
mUVe 1 at 500 mm/s and 90% complete
Here the machine is running some more stress tests, so far so good! I don’t have much, if any, vibration and things aren’t wearing inappropriately. Still on the list of things to do: -Add heat to the glass reservoir -Add non-stick coating to glass -Attach Build Plate -Build containment box with UV blocking Arcylic front panel -Attach and test laser
mUVe 1 – First Movements
All, Here are the first movements of the mUVe 3D printer, this was recorded on the 16th. Only the X and Y axis exist and are the only powered axes. I have made much progress since then but haven’t had time to get the media uploading portion taken care of. I should have more up by this weekend.
Welcome
Welcome to mUVe 3D, we are pleased to be opening up this site and will continue to post as much information as we can to keep you up to date on progress. Over time we would like to add comprehensive documentation, a wiki, and potentially a source for parts for the mUVe 3D. Please check back often, changes are taking place every day.