SmartRap - low cost simple RepRap

Simplistic open source SmartRap RepRap designed to be very easy to assemble and as cheap as possible. Nice job!





















From RepRap wiki description:

This is a new design of a reprap 3d printer. It is in the spirit of the printrbot simple , designed by Brook Drumm , one of our best designer in my opinion. I tried to make it even simpler (let's start a chalenge with Brook? :) This one is made with printed parts only so it's easy reproducible. It's also full GPL , meaning open to any business.

The goal for the Smartrap is to have the feeling of a lego assembly feasible by a 12 years old kid without complication.The Education part is very important and by building himself, the user should learn how every part is working in the all system, so he would be able to find problems and repair himself easily. In other word, the Smartrap tries to reach makers who are not real gurus like we have actually in the reprap world ( not negative meaning here, but only to help to spread the world and attire more people to this wonderful world of replicative-dIY-makers).

Other features in any order of importance are:

• Real Reprap : most of the structure should be printed, so it can print itself for friends. Only the common base should be bought on special shops ( motors,hotend,controller,lm8uu,endstops).
• Simple to build : I mean it! . No need for special tooling or ultra precision cut or drill or even adjustment. The final goal would be: no screw and everything come together by snap (almost).
• Open source! : GPL, you can build it, sell it, make a business of it. all that is ok if you stay under the GPL licence .
• Cheap as possible : fishing line, printed bushing?( not well working for me now) , cheapest electronics ( no heat bed, 4 motors, no fan).
• Optionally open to experimentation : I tried so much configurations before that i should put them all online one day : Aluminium rails with 608zz, fixed axis with moving hotend, moving axis with fixed hotend..etc .

Features

• Print size : from 150x150x150 to around 250x250x200. The first prototype is 200x200x150.
• PLA only : It's a political decision: Even if ABS gives better results , i really don't like the fumes and the ecological impact. PLA , beeing compostable and asking for only 60 watts alime, is far more interesting to me. ( open to talk of course :)
• Layer height : not really tested for now, looks like 0.2 works well.
• Printed parts: 10.
• Screws : M6 x2 , M3 x 16.
• Non Printed parts : 6 smooth rods 8mm , 12 lm8uu, 1 M5 , 2 fishing lines 500mm , 4 nema17 motors, 1 hot-end j-head, 1 controler board , 3 mechanical endstops.
• Assembly operations count : not much but not totally clear for now. I wait to assemble 2 or 3 more printers to make a good doc and video of asssembly

It is also on Indiegogo:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smartrap-open-source-3d-printer-the-viral-printer