Thermoplastic Additive Manufacturing
I created this section of my portfolio to showcase what I have learned about the additive manufacturing sector. Additive manufacturing is my passion, and I am currently eager to find opportunities to strengthen my skills in this field. Throughout the following page you will see the printer I assembled and the augmentations I have made to it. I keep this printer running almost around the clock to best understand slicing, its design and its operation.
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Prusa i3 MK3S+ Assembly
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Understanding the Slicing Process with Autodesk Fusion 360 Design Optimization
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Multi-Material Unit Installation
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Octoprint IoT User Interface Installation
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Additional Prints
Click Images to Enter Slideshows
With Descriptions
1. Prusa i3 MK3S+ Assembly
Filament Sensor: Uses both an infrared laser sensor and a mechanical lever to detect the presence and color of a strand of filament entering the extruder assembly.
SuperPINDA probe: a sensor that allows fully automatic mesh bed leveling. Before every print the sensor creates a heightmap to account for microscopic imperfections of the print sheet
2. Understanding the Slicing Process with Autodesk Fusion 360 Design Optimization
3. Multi-Material Upgrade Installation
The Multi-Material Upgrade automates the material changes of up to five different materials in a single print. I use this feature to apply water-soluble support material interfaces out of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), which enables the printing of more complex, and sometimes otherwise impossible, geometries. Since PVA is highly hygroscopic, it is necessary to keep it as dry as possible, so there is a filament dehumidifier shown in the first video. Although stringing was a consistent issue in the following pictures, these parts were printed prior to the use of the dehumidifier.
4. Octoprint IoT User Interface
The use of Octoprint was critical to me when I kept my printer in Trinity's robotics lab rather than my home. Octoprint offers a tremendous variety of features but I most commonly used the remote monitoring, timelapse, and emergency stop features. By connecting a wifi enabled Raspberry Pi 4,power supply, and webcam, control over my printer was accessible from anywhere.