5-axis 3D printing
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If I use a tilting bed, the hotend remains vertical. But it would be more fun to build a dedicated 6 axis Delta, if David can implement the kinematic
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@fma But your illustration is for a slice of the upper part. If you want to print the lower part and keep the tool at 90 degrees to the print surface at all times, you'll have to print the lower half with the tool inside the sphere. Because if it's outside the sphere then it will need to be below the bed. So you'll never be able to print a solid sphere - only a hollow one. For the first half, you'll need to keep tilting the bed until it reaches 90 degrees (at which point the part will likely fall off). After the half way point, you'll have to move the tool to the outside then tilt the bed back in the opposite direction.
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As said in a previous message, I plan to print BB-8 panels, which are only portions of sphere...
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After doing the sphere-to-plan projection of a stl file, I sliced the resulting G-Code, and parsed it through another python script to generate the final G-Code.
This second script bascially makes the invert plan-to-sphere projection (no tilt management for now), and also cut the long segments into shorter ones, so a long move in the X/Y planes actually moves along the shpere instead of colliding it.
I then upload the resulting G-Code file to the Duet, and start printing (without filament). And it works! I can see the hotend describing the sphere intead of the plan
Things are not perfect, and I have a little difference between the planar segment length and the spherical one (a bug in my code I can't find). So, I will have to compensate the extrusion to keep it correct. As I also cut the planar segment in equal smaller segments, the segments on the sphere are not equal anymore: there are a lot of very very short moves towards the top of the sphere, and I clearly notice some jerk issue, or something like that. I need to investigate.
Before I dig in these bugs, I will use a small acrylic half ball as bed, try to put it at the right position (center of the bed), and print on it. Or I can create the support with the part, so it is transformed by the scripts. Don't know if it works, but it worth trying
Of course, even without bugs, the print won't be correct, as the hotend is not normal to the print surface, but this is really fun
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First try:
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Diabase Engineering makes a 5 axis 3d printer for printing cylindrical parts, footwear, and other stuff.. It's pretty damn cool! Not practical unless you need it, but it's neat to be able to (like a CNC Mill) print on all sides of an object.
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I uploaded a short video showing this print:
