Extruders & Printers

Examples of machines I have built or modified for projects.

Fab@Home 2 with Improved Extruder & Reinforced Axes

The original extruder was a pain to use, so I redesigned it (as shown) to be easy to open and service and taught myself basic SOLIDWORKS in the process.

I ended up adding several mechanical improvements such as linear bearings and reinforced axes before eventually connecting it to a RAMPS board with Marlin firmware. Too slow to be a useful printer.

MakerBot Replicator & Replistruder v0.1

This ABS device was the first 3D printed syringe pump extruder I designed to allow me to modify a desktop printer for bioprinting. It quickly became obsolete.

This modified MakerBot was the 1st system that allowed me to use Skeinforge to generate 5D gcode and produce some of the early FRESH work. Never published.

MakerBot Replicator & Replistruder v0.2

2nd extruder design - designed to use a glass syringe instead of plastic. I used ABS plastic and installed it on a MakerBot Replicator. Utilized gcode generated using Skeinforge and gpx utility.

Gear twitches during retraction moves during printing. The Replistruders became focused around the concept of "retraction" during printing, as this is critical for good results.

Replistruder v1

This particular version of the Replistruder was aesthetically my favorite, but over-optimized for printability and weight savings. Most of these were printed from red ABS. Quite a few multi-material prints were done with this design.
Download design here.

Replistruder v2

This version of the Replistruder was designed to open and shut like a Keurig coffee machine. It was used on a variety of machines, but was very difficult to teach and frequently broke if printed from PLA. Download design here.

Picture of a Replicator 2 with a Replistruder v2 installed.

Replistruder v3

This version took everything I had learned and incorporated it into a single, do-it-all design with adapters for a large variety of glass and plastic syringes. I designed this to be stiff and reliable. It was the heaviest and best of the Replistruders. Download design here. Eventually, this design was replaced by the Replistruder 4 by Josh Tashman, and I think that's the best there currently is.

Picture of a Flashforge Creator (with a duet wifi) with a Replistruder v3 installed and printing a heart for Lee et al. 2019 Science.

Large Volume Extruder (LVE) > Many Printers

Designed to use a 50/60 mL disposable syringe and accomplish much of the same goals as the Replistruders. Published in HardwareX. Featured on cnckitchen! Download design here.

Objet Eden 330 to FDM & Bioprinter

One of the most interesting conversions I've done - I used a Duet 3 to convert an old Objet 330 to a platform for extrusion printing. Solid machine. Not published.

Replistruder Metal

Metal version of the Replistruder 4. Here installed on a Prusa MK3S. Not published.

Personal 3D Printers

I have 2 printers - a Prusa MK3.9 and a custom Duet 3 machine.

The custom machine has taught me a lot about designing for quiet speed. For example, the X stepper is a ZN417, which I think is quieter than Prusa MK4 motors, even at 1/8 stepping.

Printer Design

I prefer Duet motherboards and Marlin, Klipper, or reprap firmware, because you get access to the best gcode generation softwares and the boards are high quality.

I've built a variety of printers at home from a number of component types, teaching myself design-for-additive in the process. This one used a MakerBot cupcake bed and fishing line in place of belts - I strongly recommend against this.

One of my printer designs emphasized speed, purposely not using a corexy kinematic system to avoid belt lash. It had many flaws, but I learned a lot.

Upcoming stuff may be added.

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