Why building yet another 3D Printer ? (Part 1)

I believe you need to fully embrace something to try to really understand it, and by doing or trying to build something is for me probably the deepest way to try to achieve it.

Clark Young

I am developing software for 3D Printers and I need some kind of machine that I can play/prototype with it, so building a 3D Printer is part of my process to help improve my understanding to build better software for 3D Printers.

I choose to have a relatively huge volume (X:400mm, Y:400mm Z:>=500mm), because 3D Printing is slow and we aim to build big things quickly. I have to be confronted with it to find ways on the software/hardware to deal with it and push the envelope. Also the price of such printer is not much expensive than building a desktop sized one.

I need ways to integrate quickly new hardware products in order to develop software to be able to use it effectively.

My constraints:

• Big volume, with lot of room to put any hardware
• Easy to hack, tinker
• Easy to maintain 
• Fair price
• Reliable work horse

My Current Design:

• Aluminium 2020 Profiles: easy to assemble, sturdy, relatively cheap and available
• Aluminium parts for bearing holders, linear guide holders, brackets: cheaper, sturdier and faster to obtain than 3D modelling/printing such parts.
• X/Y Gantry à la Ultimaker: relatively low weight and low inertia. The gantry is built outside of the frame to ease maintenance and to be able to put stepper motors outside of the internal volume (if I want to build a heated enclosure later).
• Z Axis: 4 linear guides with 2 ACME screws: cheap and relatively good quality.
• 600W to 1KW Heated Bed using SSR.
• 2.5A Nema17 48mm stepper motors: good quality/reliability at a fair price, smaller than that tends to overheat and cause reliability issues.
• Interchangeable heads: different hotends, different extruders.
• Easy to quickly change electronics: different hardware, different motherboards, different firmwares.

More details and photos will come.