We want our 3D food printer (Pinya2) to print using bigger loads. Currently the main limitation for it is having magnetic joints sized for smaller load (<400gr).
This post is about our new magnetic joints design that must hold up to 1kg load.
Tech
Curv3s, new/update design tool
Curv3s is an update for Lin3s.
The main different in between this two is that Curves, does have the ability to draw Bezier curves. This means mainly more organic shapes.
A few parameters have changed their names. Also the parameters has been divided into three groups Design, Effects and Printing. Hopefully this makes it more easy to use.
Now if the line is closed (shift + c), the nozzle follows an spiral motion with z-axis increments per segments. This means no big z movements while printing with a closed line. This is known as spiral vase in Slic3r.
If you decide to print an open line, it will go back and forth changing printing direction on each layer(always printing). Please notice that if paste is not thick enough it is quite difficult to hold a not connected end of line.
Another cool featured added is support for extruder based printers. What makes Curv3s compatible with filament printers. We run some tests and it worked. But I think there is plenty of better tools for plastic, still is fun and fast.
Curv3s is and experimental tool. It generates a LOT of segments for a Curvy GCode. We tried to finetune it to reduce segments without decreasing the smoothness of the path. This requires more work and experimentation . Meaning that sometimes the amount of data send to the printer is too big so the printer stutters for a while.
How to use it:
- To draw, just click on theplace where you want your new line joints to be (starts drawing the line with the second joint). If you drag your mouse after clicking you would be able to edit the bezier joint handles (paired).
- To move around a line joint, click on and drag it to the new position.
- To select a joint, click on it.
- To edit a bezier curve handler joint, joint needs to be previously selected. Click on and drag the handler point and modify the curve (independent handlers edition).
- To add a new joint to your line, click on it.
- To remove a line joint, hold shift and click on the line joint.
- To close a line, click shift + “c”.
- To open a line, click shift + “o”.
Parameters:
- Height (z) [mm]: This param is the total height of the figure.
- Scale [%]: Total scale percentage between the base and figure’s top.
- Layer height [mm]: Layer height.
- Material diameter[mm]: This is equivalent to filament diameter for regular printers. And would be equal to the inside diameter of a syringe based extruder.
Curv3s, even if it has a different name still use Lin3s repository. (Yes, being too lazy to change it :))
Hopefully this new and simplified tool help us to bring easier ways to print food, and a nicer dinning experience.
Lin3s, new design tool
Lin3s is a remake of our straight lines design tool.
This time we have added a 3d viewer, so it is easier to get a sense of how the design is gonna look like. Example of a GCode printed with hummus. We keep our no-sense design rule (sorry for that).
What it does?
Creates a GCode path following a drawn line. Without jumps. Goes back and forth over the same line increasing the height until the desired number of layers is reached. The output just controls position, and valve on/off. Mainly for air compressed extruders.
What is what?
3 main parts.
- Parameters: Left column has a title “Lin3s” (does nothing), list of designing and printing parameters, and GCode button to generate your GCode (after designed).
- Canvas: Middle area, here is where to draw the “base” view of our design with a single line or path.
- Viewer: A 3D viewer of the design, with basic mouse controls.
How to use it?
First a short video that we hope makes things easier to understand. If not we wrote a boring description that hoping is good enough.
The center area is a canvas where a path or line can be drawn. This represents the base of the design. Following the basic design actions:
- To draw, just click on it and place where you want your new line joints to be (starts drawing the line with the second joint).
- To move around a line joint, click on and drag it to the new position.
- To add a new joint to your line, click on and drag it to the new joint position.
- To remove a line joint, hold shift and click on the line joint.
- To close a line, click shift + “c”.
- To open a line, click shift + “o”.
To help building and printng a 3d design from the base line the following parameters are implemented.
- # layers: Number of layers for the whole print.
- Rotation [deg/layer]: This rotates each layer with the given degree parameter. If you get to play with some crazy fast setting material this might be cool. I can not get it to work over 1deg/layer
- Scale top layer [%]: This helps to give a less 2.5D feeling. What it does is change the proportion of all the layers based on the relationship between bottom and top layer. Equal to a basic cone effect (/\ or \/).
- Feedrate [mm/min]: Printing speed.
- Initial delay [ms]: This adds a delay after the beggining of the print. This is set for printer using valve controls (or at least for mine :)).
- enter y [mm], this 2 parameters help to center the print, at whatever center position is desired. By default this parameter is set for delta printers center = 0,0.
- File name. Write here the name that you want for your file, it will be saved by default at your browser Downloads folder.
If you are interested in the source code, here it is the repository, spoiler alert not fancy coding here;).
It would be awesome if you have any feedback please let us know! 🙂
3d Food printing
Carving veggies
Happy New year 2015!
Carving veggies. For our upcoming recipe we wanted to carve instead of print. Being a different digital fabrication process we had to look at the differences and address each one separately.
Shall we carve?
Shake that Powder #3
Shake that powder 3. Finally we got some new parts to test. First the new pipette tip holder using 3 vibration motors, why 3? because #1 was not enough 🙂
We got to solve the clogging issue with extra shaking, that is cool right?
Late this week more pictures!
3D Printing ceramics
Food is not just about food. Is also about how we eat, the experience and the tools we use. With that in mind, at 3DC we started experimenting 3D Printing ceramics.
What is the first thing you have to do when starting fooling around with something new? Look for an expert to help you out. This is where the awesome people from Bussoga come to play.
Shall we fire this up?
Shake that powder #2
After our sweet success proof of concept shake that powder extrusion, it was time to test it printing.
Where to start?
Mixing colours 1st try
What a boring 1-color printing life. Le’ts try messing it up with some colours. Few printers has the ability to print with several material but most of them just use different heads for that matter. In today’s experiment we are mixing colours. There is a genius section about mixing food at Caleb Millen master thesis (recommended reading).
Fig. Mixing nozzle prototype
Shall we start exploding things?
Marlin movement 101
Marlin is one of the most popular firmware that is in charge of managing your open source printer.
Not sure if you ever wonder how Marlin movement works, but if you did, I hope the following serie of posts will bring some light to have a better understanding.
Fig. Marlin by National Geographic
[Disclaimer] this is my marlin interpretation, I might be wrong so feel free to correct me if you find any mistakes.