Ainsworth, Jacob

Disher, Derick

Morreal, Derreck

Opus: Research and Creativity at IPFW

Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Opus: Research & Creativity at IPFW
Manufacturing & Construction Engineering
Technology and Interior Design Senior Design
Projects
School of Engineering, Technology and Computer
Science Design Projects
5-4-2015
Desktop 3D Printer
Jacob Ainsworth
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
Derick Disher
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
Derreck Morreal
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
Follow this and additional works at: http://opus.ipfw.edu/etcs_seniorproj_mcetid
Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons
This Senior Design Project is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science Design Projects
at Opus: Research & Creativity at IPFW. It has been accepted for inclusion in Manufacturing & Construction Engineering Technology and Interior
Design Senior Design Projects by an authorized administrator of Opus: Research & Creativity at IPFW. For more information, please contact
admin@lib.ipfw.edu.
Opus Citation
Jacob Ainsworth, Derick Disher, and Derreck Morreal (2015). Desktop 3D Printer.
http://opus.ipfw.edu/etcs_seniorproj_mcetid/277
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
  
2015 
SENIOR DESIGN SPRING 2015 
JACOB AINSWORTH, DERICK DISHER, DERRECK MORREAL 
MET 494 | Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 1 
Table of Contents 
 
Contents: 
 
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………   p. 3 
 
Background ………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..……..  p. 3 
 
Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… p. 3 
 
Objective………………………………………………………….………………………………………….……………………..   p.3 
 
Solution.………………….…………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..  p. 3-9 
 
Cost Analysis and Sections …………………………………..………………………………………..…………………..   p. 9-10 
 
Calculations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… p. 11-12 
 
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………….  p. 13 
 
Illustrations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..   p. 13-14 
References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………     p. 15  
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 2 
Introduction 
 
3D printing is becoming an industry standard for prototyping.  And while the technology 
continues to grow at an increasing rate for industry, the consumer market is not getting near 
the same amount of attention.   3D printing is something that we believe will one day be part of 
our everyday lives.  We think this should be sooner more than later.   
 
Background 
 
Each of our group members have been fascinated with 3D printing since the day that we 
learned about it. A machine that could accept electronic files of solid models and then convert 
them into real life objects seems to be a machine that could only be possible in a star trek 
episode. Thanks to 3D printing technology, that is no longer the case. Now our goal is to 
embrace that amazing technology and give people the opportunity to own a personal 3D 
printer capable of producing prints comparable to printers that are much more expensive. 
Problem Statement 
 
There are currently a few 3D printers that can be purchased for home use, but these printers 
are not nearly as user friendly as we think they should be.  Most are quite expensive, take lots 
of work to maintain, and have limited build capabilities in terms or size and resolution. 
 
Objective 
 
Our goal is to create a 3D printer that compared to its competition will have the following 
improved qualities. 
 Increased print size 
 Increased resolution  
 Reasonably Priced 
 Reduce time required to print 
 Easy to assemble 
 Reduce Maintenance  
 
Specifications 
Build Volume 300mm x 300mm x 300mm 
Print Resolution 100 microns Vertically  
Print speed 150mm/s 
Frame material Aluminum extrusion 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 3 
Solution 
 
 
Construction 
 
While our printer has a great number of various parts, the design can be easily separated into 3 
separate sections.  These are: 
1. Frame 
2. XY Carriage 
3. Z Carriage 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 4 
 
Figure 1 - Frame 
Frame 
 
The frame is constructed of black anodized aluminum extrusion.  This special type of extrusion 
is known as t-slot extrusion.  T-slot extrusion is slotted for easy assembly and modification.  Not 
only is this easy to assemble, and render the printer able to be easily expandable in terms of 
accessories; It is also much sturdier than the wood and plastic frames of other printers in this 
price range.  The added rigidity allows the printer to move faster without flexing, which can 
cause the railing system to bind and prevent movement. 
 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 5 
 
Figure 2 - XY Carriage 
XY Carriage  
 
The XY Carriage is what allows the printer to locate in both the X and Y 
directions.  Our design uses self-lubricating bronze bushings that slide on 
chrome plated steel rods to move the hot end quickly and quietly 
compared to the ball bearings that the competition uses.   
The Hot End is one of the most important parts of a Fused Deposition 3D 
Printer.  Fused Deposition printing works by stacking layer over layer of 
plastic repeatedly until those many layers build up to become a 3 
dimensional object.  The Hot End is the part that actually extrudes the 
plastic.  It works just like a hot glue gun, heating up the plastic and 
positioning it with the nozzle.  The hot end consist of the following 
components (shown in figure 4): 
1. Aluminum Heatsink 
2. Stainless Steel Heat Break 
3. Aluminum Heater Block 
4. Brass Nozzle 
 Figure 3 - Hot End 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 6 
 Heatsink 
 
The heat sink (Figure 5) is responsible for 
dissipating most of the heat that comes from the 
heat block.  The thin fins allow air to flow through 
and pull the heat out.  This reduces the chances 
that the plastic will melt in the hot end and jam 
the printer.  In this design the heatsink also 
serves as the mounting point for the hot end. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Heat Break 
 
The heat break (Figure 6) has several functions.  It first 
serves to help the heatsink in dissipating heat.  It 
leaves gaps between the heat block and the heatsink, 
making it harder for the heat to run up the hot end.  It 
is constructed of stainless steel which has lower 
thermal conductivity than aluminum.  As a result the 
heat from the heat block is less prone to travel through 
it; acting as a break.   
 This design also makes the complete hot end 
much easier to manufacture, by separating the turning 
operations and milling operations into separate parts.  
 
Figure 5 - HeatSink 
Figure 6 – Heat Break 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 7 
Heat Block 
 
The heat block (Figure 7) is where the thermistor, 
heating element, and nozzle all mount up to.  The 
thermistor is a special type of resistor that allows 
you to read the temperature up to 300 degrees 
Celsius.  This allows us to heat up the nozzle to the 
appropriate temperature depending on the 
material. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nozzle 
 
The nozzle (Figure 8) is where the plastic will 
come out.  It is made of brass, a great 
conductor, which means that most all of the 
heat that we generate within the heat block is 
transferred directly to the nozzle.  When the 
plastic hits the tip, it is instantly melted and is 
forced through the small hole.  This part can be 
easily replaced with other nozzles that have 
different sized holes for whatever your need is. 
 
 
 
 
Figure 7 - Heat Block 
Figure 8 - Nozzle 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 8 
 
 
Figure 9 - Z Carriage 
Z Carriage 
 
The Z carriage is responsible for moving the bed in the Z axis (up and down). It also holds the 
heat bead which is a device that keeps the printing surface warm, preventing the part from 
warping. The actual printing surface is made of surface ground 6061-T6 Aluminum that sits on 
top of the heat bed. Because the printing surface is made from aluminum, which has a high 
thermal conductivity, heat can be easily transferred from the heat bed to the part.  
In each corner of the printing surface there is a bed level adjustment to help get the bed initially 
level. To further insure that bed is perfectly level we’ve added a proximity sensor to the printing 
head that will take measurements before each print and adjust the program accordingly. The 
bed itself rides along a linear lead screw and carriage design from PBC Linear. 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 9 
Cost Analysis & Parts List 
 
Item Number Description Vendor Qty Price Total
1020 1"x2" Aluminum Extrusion Neff 68 $0.28 $19.18
- 8020 Cut to length Neff 12 $1.17 $14.04
1010 1"x1" Aluminum Extrusion Neff 216 $0.17 $37.58
3343 10s DBL End Fastener Neff 8 $1.59 $12.72
3381 End Fastener Neff 8 $0.90 $7.20
2284T51 (4) 2284T51 1/4-20 Leveling Feet McMaster 1 $2.74 $2.74
8662K23 Black Delrin Rectangular Bar, 1/4" Thick, 2" Wide, 2' Length McMaster 2 $7.57 $15.14
8662K41 Black Delrin  Rectangular Bar, 1/2" Thick, 1" Wide, 1' Length McMaster 1 $7.13 $7.13
8662K73 Black Delrin  Rectangular Bar 1-1/4" Thick, 2" Wide, 1 ft. Length McMaster 1 $25.62 $25.62
91251A112 (100) Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Cap Screw, 4-40 Thread, 5/8" Length McMaster 1 $8.12 $8.12
91255A537 (50) Alloy Steel Button-Head Socket Cap Screw, Black-Oxide, 1/4"-20 Thread, 1/2" Long McMaster 1 $7.53 $7.53
8910K401 Low-Carbon Steel Bar, 1/8" Thick, 2-1/2" Width, 1' Length McMaster 1 $5.67 $5.67
91292A033 (25) Type 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Head Cap Screw, M3 Thread, 35MM Length, 0.5MM Pitch McMaster 1 $3.30 $3.30
94669A743 Metric Aluminum Unthreaded Spacer, 6MM OD, 30MM Length, M3 Screw Size McMaster 8 $1.29 $10.32
PSFJ8-400 8MM Linear Shaft MISUMI 2 $12.00 $24.00
PSFJ10-430 10MM Linear Shaft MISUMI 4 $14.81 $59.24
SHBZ10-25 10MM Bronze Bushing MISUMI 4 $6.44 $25.76
- (5) NEMA 17 Stepper Motor eBay 1 $49.99 $49.99
GT2 16 GT2 16 Tooth 5mm Bore eBay 4 $3.99 $15.96
SHF12 (2) 12mm Linear Rod Rail Shaft Support eBay 1 $11.00 $11.00
 6000RS (10) Sealed 10mm/26mm/8mm Deep Groove Radial Ball Bearings eBay 1 $14.77 $14.77
LM8UU (2) linear motion ball bearings 8x15x24 eBay 2 $4.75 $9.50
3382 (30) 8020 T Slot Hardware 1/4-20 Economy T Nut eBay 1 $11.55 $11.55
- 12" X 12" Heatbed PCB eBay 1 $53.00 $53.00
Mega 2560 SainSmart Mega2560 + A4988 + RAMPS 1.4 3D Printer KIT eBay 1 $43.99 $43.99
- (5) Mechanical Limit Switch eBay 1 $13.99 $13.99
LCD12864 smart controller Graphic Matrix LCD module RAMPS 1.4 Megareonics Rambo eBay 1 $19.00 $19.00
UGA040D-A10-0420-LS100 PCB LINEAR ACTUATOR Kendall Electric 1 $248.53
1020 1"x2" Aluminum Extrusion
SY124010L 40mm Fans Amazon 4 $7.70
Aluminum Heatsinks Amazon 2 $5.80
NTC 3950 100k Thermistor Eaby 1 $3.45
30 Amp Relay Board Ebay 1 $19.50
12V 30A 360W PSU Ebay 1 $29.99
LJ12A3-4-Z/BX Inductive Prox Ebay 1 $2.59
Base Mount Bowden Extruder Ebay 1 $91.99
GT2 Timing Belt Ebay $19.00
gt2 timing belt loop ebay 2 $3.98
gt2 timing belt loop Large ebay 2 $7.58
1/4-20 drop in t slot nuts ebay 22 $19.00
1/4-20 t slot nuts ebay 38 $10.90
98032a429 (100) No. 4 Flat washer McMaster 1 $2.04
2191A27 Ball Nose Plunger m5x0.8 McMaster 1 $4.85
90295A370 (100) Nylon Flat Washer McMaster 1 $6.41
47065T92 80/20 End cap McMaster 2 $1.50 $3.00
92005A116 (100) M3 pan head machine screw McMaster 1 $2.60
91255A535 (50) Alloy Steel Button Head Cap Screw 1/4-20 X 3/8" McMaster 1 $7.75
86825K11 .25" thick MIC6 Cast Aluminum McMaster 1 $44.67
1561T14 (3) High Load Compression Spring McMaster 2 $6.75 $13.50
91239A327 (50) M6X25mm Button Head Socket Cap Screw McMaster 1 $7.83 $7.83
98381a306 (25) 1/8" diameter, 5/16" LG Dowel Pin McMaster 1 $5.61 $5.61
94355A216 (50) 4-40 X 5/16"  Set Screw McMaster 1 $7.57 $7.57
92210A110 (100) 4-40 X 1/2" Flat Head Socket Cap Screw McMaster 1 $3.99 $3.99
$1,107.87
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 10 
Calculation Results 
 
The results of our calculation show that if we proceed with using the 1020, 80/20 brand 
extruded aluminum the printing platform will not deflect enough to jeopardize our target 
resolution of 200 (0.0078”) microns or better.  
 
From the Torque calculations we were able to determine that the specific motors that we 
bought, NEMA 17 stepper motors, are able to produce enough torque to raise and lower our 
table with an entire spool worth of plastic on it. This calculation also provides us with enough 
information that we can make the decision to maintain a 1:1 gear ratio between the motor and 
the lead screw.  
This will greatly reduce time of programming.    
 
Testing and Calibration 
 
Calibrating the printer has posed to be the most work out of the whole project.  Even at this time 
there are still many improvements that can be made to the firmware.   
The Firmware for the print board is all edited in what is called the Arduino IDE.  The firmware 
that we are using is named Marlin.  Marlin is an open source code that is made for 3d Printers.  It 
is highly customizable and is used in hundreds of 3d printers on the market today.   
Even though the firmware is already written, there are still thousands of variables that must be 
tweaked to work for our printer.  Variables such as Steps per unit moved, Acceleration, and Jerk 
all have huge impacts on the quality of your print.  It’s a huge challenge to find the right pieces to 
the puzzle.  Most would think that if the quality does not look good, then you can just slow it 
down.  But if you slow the printer down too much, then you will have strings and blobs from the 
hot end being in one place too long.  The calibration process will never end as there always seem 
to be edits that give a positive results. 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 11 
 
 
Conclusion 
 
During the past semester our group was able to design and assemble a fully functional 3D 
printer. Our printer is capable of accepting files from numerous software’s and convert them 
into 3 dimensional objects, something that just 20 years ago would have been unheard of in a 
household environment.  We would like to continue to work and maximize efficiency and cost, 
without sacrificing the resolution that we desire. We also plan to use our printer to produce 
various parts for itself, for example, housing for the controllers, possible HMI, and all other 
exposed electronics. This project has been both inspiring and rewarding. 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 12 
 
 
 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 13 
Illustrations 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 14 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 15 
 
Left: .2mm Layer Height.   Right: .1mm Layer Height 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 16 
 
 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 17 
 
 
 
 
Desktop 3D Printer 
 
 pg. 18 
 
References 
  
 
 
 
Dupen, Barry. Applied Strength of Materials for Engineering Technology. Fort Wayne: IPFW, 
2014. PDF. 
 
http://motion.schneider-electric.com/products/nema17.html 
 
 "E3D Online." E3D Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 
 
5 Considerations for Scanning, Printing, and Subtractive Machining Design." Design World. N.p., 
09 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 
 
"Reprap Development and Further Adventures in DIY 3D Printing." Reprap Development and 
Further Adventures in DIY 3D Printing. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 
 
"RepRap Options." - RepRapWiki. N.p., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 
 
 
 


Desktop 3D Printer

http://opus.ipfw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1277&context=etcs_seniorproj_mcetid

Desktop 3D Printer

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Opus: Research and Creativity at IPFW