Robot-Based 3D Printing

Author

Aaron HoffmanFollow

College

College of Engineering and Polymer Science

Date of Last Revision

2024-06-04 07:26:36

Major

Computer Science

Honors Course

CPSC 498

Number of Credits

3

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2024

Abstract

Details of a large-format 3D printer created to print experimental materials, test multi-axis print techniques, and quickly print large objects. The printer consists of a 7-axis robotic arm and pellet extruder, which are controlled by a PC. Experimental materials such as recycled polymers or carbon-fiber reinforced materials can be easily tested with the pellet format of the extruder. The printer can perform different printing techniques and can be used to experiment with material properties when using these techniques with different polymers. The print surface is around 5 times larger than the average commercial 3D printer, and the robotic arm provides a much higher print height. The pellet extruder is controlled by a custom microcontroller interface that is pre-loaded with all extrusion instructions for the print. This microcontroller is commanded by the robot arm controller to synchronize the movements and print operations. The PC compiles commands using RoboDK software, which combines G-Code from a 3D slicer and transforms it into appropriate robot and extrusion commands.

Research Sponsor

En Cheng

First Reader

Manigandan Kannan

Second Reader

Yingcai Xiao

Honors Faculty Advisor

Zhong-Hui Duan

Proprietary and/or Confidential Information

No

Recommended Citation

Hoffman, Aaron, "Robot-Based 3D Printing" (2024). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1855.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1855