Design and Fabrication of a Large Format 3D printer

Schematic of proposed 3D printer.

Control of large format 3D printer

Project description

As the workspace of 3D printers grows, the larger overhang of the print head results in increased amplitude of vibration which results in the deterioration of the print quality. Concurrently, with an increase in the print speed, there is an associated accentuation of the structural vibrations which should be attenuated if one desires high quality 3D prints. This project involved the design and fabrication of a large format 3D printer to test out novel control algorithms to permit high speed printing with high quality of prints. This work requires knowledge of CAD packages, data acquisition and control and Arduino programming.

Project outcome

Large format printing testbed to test and validate advanced control algorithms which can track prescribed paths for the print head with minimal vibrations.

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment About a semester (3-5 months)
Start time Fall (August/September)
In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-person
Level of collaboration Individual student project
Benefits Research experience
Who is eligible Juniors and seniors in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with experience in Matlab Programming, Adruino programming, CAD modeling

Core partners

  • Adrian Stein (Ph.D. student)

Project mentor

Tarunraj Singh

Professor

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

1009 Furnas Hall

Phone: (716) 645-1428

Email: tsingh@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
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Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

Read articles and books about 3D printing.

Keywords

3D printing, Vibration Control, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Matlab Programming, Adruino programming, CAD modeling