3D Printing Forum

Printed a 30x30mm Frame 3D Printer. For Proof of concept ("Can a 3D Printer Duplicate itself").

6 X 11-3/4 inch print bed with 10-1/2 inch height. Using all thread for frame support, I have determined that although you can 3D print a Printer.
without metal support you may never get a consistent print quality. As PLA and ABS are not sturdy enough material to support 3D printing a 3D Printers by themselves. Even some other material frame printer's push the limits of consistent print quality (will not mention them by name but we all know what they are..

Although the Z axis works quite well, the x and y axis were quite flexible (wobbly) and needed more support to continue. Decided to purchase 8020's 20x20 stock. Aluminum and finish my second printer making it with a 300X300mm bed with a height of 400mm, this should make it as good as an Aluminum 3D Printer Kit.

Will be donating what I have Printed to the Local Goodwill. Maybe someone else can get some use from it.

This is only one man's opinion only.

Keeping All Electronics / Steppers ect..

Still believe I can make a 3D Scanner work even with this little 3D Printer setback.

The problem you have here is that you are designing for metal and printing in plastic. You need to design for the weaknesses of plastic, which is quite different. You will of course require considerably more plastic in order to get a stiff enough frame for a halfways decent print. It's an interesting experiment.

danilius wrote:The problem you have here is that you are designing for metal and printing in plastic. You need to design for the weaknesses of plastic, which is quite different. You will of course require considerably more plastic in order to get a stiff enough frame for a halfway decent print. It's an interesting experiment.

I half though something like that when I started working on the lowers frame, as I am not an engineer with backgrounds in Plastic manufacturing.

Thought I could Compensate by using All thread in for a center core in the 3D Printed Plastic Frame, the corners then became the weak spots.
Was even going to use metal angle pieces for corners , no longer is it 3D Printed and only becomes a decorative version of other all-thread 3D Printers.

I will just give in to the creation of a Printed 3D Printer of the design, and continue building a larger 3D Printer using Aluminum.
I already have most Parts needed to complete one and only need to change the printing dimensions in Marlin firmware.

The true answer is NO.
Unless it can produce all the parts, mechanical, electrical and electronic, it cannot duplicate itself.
Self replicating would require it to not only produce the parts, assembly itself, load its software and calibrate itself, ready to make another copy of itself again...

Izzy wrote:The true answer is NO.
Unless it can produce all the parts, mechanical, electrical and electronic, it cannot duplicate itself.
Self replicating would require it to not only produce the parts, assembly itself, load its software and calibrate itself, ready to make another copy of itself again...

Should have been more specific.
Can a 3D Printer, Print a Frame sturdy enough to support a quality 3D Printed product.

Decided not to quit just yet, have came up with some new ideals that I believe will allow the printer to work.

The printed frame will need to be modular to fit upon the print bed and then be connected and assembled.
Any small error would be replicated and then magnified each reproduction phase.
Strength and stiffness could be designed into the sections, the operating temperature of the majority of areas are well within the glass transition spec of the PLAs, but without additional post print finishing the sections if used as bearing slides will be rough and translate this through into the next produced print, any imperfections will be passed on.
But in this case for the question worded above then yes.

Had to add to this. With Thingiverse, Cura, and my CR-10S, I can print an Inception rendition to 3D printing.
May take a while though.