🎨 RiP 2016 MPCNC – Advice for Its Rebirth!

Mostly Printed 3D Printer - MP3DP Advice
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The main reason I’m leaning toward LowRider 2 is that it seems like it would sit perfectly on top of my existing frame, with the wheels running on my aluminum profile and the hardware only slightly extending beyond the frame

It also looks much lighter and less blocky, which gives the impression that it would fit my setup better than a standard LowRider 4 or 3, which feels massive and very solid almost too heavy for what I need

22

Surprised if LR2 is the right solution for your situation, not that I’ve built one.

Since, CNC means computer numerical control, which isn’t limited to just subtractive cutting stuff with sharp spinning stuff. I have been wondering if/when Ryan or someone here will create a CNC with motion and rigidity designed for higher speed lighter loads (that fits somewhere between 3d printing, and routing) optimized for pen, vinyl cutters, fiber laser, IR laser and such…

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23

Your choices seem clear to me:

  1. Start a huge new project that will be costly and time consuming that will likely accomplish very little towards your goals. It will look cool though.
  2. Try to integrate a new system with what you have and wind up with some hybrid that accomplishes none of your goals, creates new problems, and requires constant fiddling.
  3. Clean up what you have and get it running in days instead of months.

With the exception of speed, you can accomplish everything you want by:

  • Replace the belts with good quality belts and keep them tensioned properly. In my experience, you will need an adjustment after the first 10 hours of use and then as needed after that. Good quality belts don’t stretch much over time.
  • Clean up and polish the tubes. Replace any that have developed permanent deflection.
  • Clean, adjust and tighten the rollers/bearing mechanisms so they ride smoothly along the tubes.
  • Only reprint plastic parts that have warped or cracked. I doubt there are any.

You are looking at systems that are designed to lase, carve and extrude but you are wanting to deposit ink and paint on paper. Anything beyond moving a pen up and down will require customization. You aren’t going to find something that bolts right on. If you want a speed increase, look into ditching that monstrous tool carriage (for lack of a better term) that was designed to carry something heavy like a spindle and come up with something lighter. Even then, isn’t the speed going to be limited by the tool (pen, brush, syringe…) transferring ink/paint and not the machine itself?

I suggest you clean and true up your wheel instead of reinventing it.

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24

Point 1, a CoreXY plotter will serve best, but will likely have significant hardware expenses, and little re-use. Still, this is probably the best solution. J don’t think I would use a printer platform at A0 sizes thpugh. The MGN12 rails going unsupported for the X span for the MP3DP v4 or v5 may not be appropriately rigid. Using an aluminum square tube for X on the MP3DPv3 platform could be better, and is definitely less expensive, but you still require 2 very long rails for Y. Thjs probably means a new build, instead of choosing an existing one.

Points 2 and 3 (to me) call for an LR3 build. The LR2 js a pretty good machine, but the 3 was better in so many ways. It will require more in hardware, but the improvement… after I built the LR3 there was no way I could.have gone back. (By contrast, after building the LR4, while it is better, I still have the LR3.)

The LR won’t be as fast, it has to accelerate more mass than a CoreXY setup. It will be at least as fast as your MPCNC, and can be faster. It will be more rigid at size, which will help accuracy.

So short of designing your own new machjne, it is my opinion that the LR3 offers the best bang for the buck with your stated goals above.

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@kinansarak, already considered motion and extruder concepts/designs that Opulo folks have come up with for their pick 'n place 'n extrude machines?