Engineering Archives | Page 2 of 3 | re:3D | Life-Sized Affordable 3D Printing

Innovating in The Time of Corona(virus)

The exponential spread of the novel coronavirus across the globe led to overwhelming demand on supply chains and disruptions to traditional manufacturing and distribution systems. Because of societal lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, a dire need quickly arose for locally fabricated, specifically focused and creatively sourced solutions to equipment shortages and emergency supplies. At home and across the globe, designers and engineers quickly mobilized into online, open-source prototyping groups to solve the challenge of a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and medical device accessories. 3D printing and additive manufacturing was an obvious go-to, with the ability to rapidly prototype and iterate on the fly, teams could utilize 3D printers to supply healthcare providers with equipment now, as soon as there were designs to print. The intention and needs were obvious and clear – to aid humanity and fill the gaps in supply chains – however, organizing volunteers and streamlining the process to avoid duplicate efforts was a daunting task.

As a company with a wealth of R&D project experience and long used to working as a distributed team, re:3D put out the call that we would prototype – for free – any life-saving devices or PPE in order to expedite review by medical professionals. We are conscientious contributors to the open source design community for COVID-19 response. We take a First, Do No Harm approach to any design work we do for this effort, meaning that it needs to be designed with input from, and in partnership with, the individuals who will utilize any equipment we prototype. We will not create anything that gives a false sense of security, but is ineffective or harmful. Our medical providers on the front lines are in need, and we are honored to take on the challenge.

Face Shields

In two overlapping efforts, we prototyped a design for a 3D printed face shield with full visor coverage and an adjustable zip tie style latching mechanism. The inquiry started in Puerto Rico. Vicente Gascó, our friend and colleague from Tredé and Engine-4 shared he had a supply of 4000 clear plastic lenses for face shields, but no visor to which they would attach to the head. Armed with only the measurements of the lenses and aided by an idea from assembly guru and NASA technician Andrew Jica in Houston, Brian Duhaime, our mechanical engineer in Austin, and Alessandra Montano, our graphics designer in Puerto Rico, pumped out five different iterations of a face shield in only 48 hours.

Vicente and Luis Torres, co-founder of Engine-4, pulled our Puerto Rico Gigabot out of Parallel-18 and added it to the existing Gigabot at Engine-4. Gigabots in Austin and in Puerto Rico printed out iterations of the designs for testing.

In Houston at the same time, CTO Matthew Fiedler, mechanical engineer Helen Little and community liaison Charlotte Craff were meeting with doctors from a local hospital to discuss their needs for a face shield. Knowing that vetted, open source face shield designs were already available, the group reviewed designs by Prusa, Lazarus3D, Budmen and Professional Plastics. The Houston team 3D printed existing options for the doctors to test, but the designs didn’t meet all of the doctors’ needs:

Lightweight, fully closed top
Reducing the air gap between lens and chin
180 degree lens coverage
Limit number of parts to reduce need to source materials in short supply

Knowing that supply chains were disrupted and very little raw materials were available in a timely manner, re:3D conferred with Professional Plastics and determined that plastic sheeting supplies were well behind schedule, but that there were excess pre-cut face shield lenses available. Again, re:3D opted to prototype to existing, local supplies, keeping stress off of traditional supply chains and getting creative with what was available.

Over the next week, Helen built on the work done for the Puerto Rico design, integrated the needs of the doctors and iterated ten different versions of the face shield while working from home and rarely getting to hold a print in her hands. The result is a single print, face shield with an adjustable latching mechanism. It’s designed for 180 degrees of protection and comfort without the addition of foam padding. It has the approval of the hospital’s Infection Control and is currently available at the National Institutes of Health 3D Print exchange for COVID-19 Response. https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013504

Hands-Free Door Pulls

Eliminating unnecessary shared contact surfaces is imperative, especially in buildings where essential workers are operating to continue necessary services. Our team includes multiple military service members. One of our reservists was activated when she sent out a call back to our team to make some hands-free door pulls to use on the base. Aided by Matthew Fiedler, Mike Battaglia, our designer in Austin, and Brian Duhaime went to work prototyping hands-free door pulls for lever-style and bar-style door handles.

These designs were drafted before we had dimensions for either of the door styles, so had to be modeled in such a way to enable incremental dimensional adjustments while preserving the models’ shapes. During her free time, the service member sent feedback on the first versions via pictures and notes, and Brian and Mike iterated the changes remotely, melding organic shaped and attachment options into single print solutions.

The hands-free door pulls are now successfully in use on base, protecting our military personnel as they work to respond and aid COVID-19 efforts. These models are available for download here https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013825 and here: https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013822

From Intubation Box to Drape Stands

As a 3D printer manufacturer, we are understandably advocates of 3D printing use in manufacturing. However, we recognize that not all innovations require, or are best served by, an exclusively 3D printed solution. As we do much of our manufacturing in-house, including machining parts on our CNCs, we can apply rapid prototyping principals to traditional manufacturing methods. Take the example of an aerosol or intubation box:

We were contacted by an anesthesiologist based in Austin about modifying such a box, used to protect doctors and nurses from aerosols released when intubating a patient. The doctor’s main concerns were ability to clean and the need for a “helper” hole. This equipment needed a curved, clear surface rather than sharp corners where germs could hide. We offered to prototype using polycarbonate sheeting and an aluminum framework available in our machine shop. In this case, the request for aid evolved before we produced a prototype. The anesthesiologist reported that the existing boxes were unwieldy and took up too much space, so instead requested a solution for supporting clear plastic drapes to achieve the same purpose and be easy to store. Matthew Fiedler proposed a combined 3d printed base and a bent aluminum frame for the project. Design work is ongoing and we will update this post as the prototype develops.

Are you a healthcare professional needing a COVID-19 related equipment solution? Please reach out to us at info@re3d.org to begin coordination. Should you wish to purchase any of our COVID-19 designs. They’re available in our online store: https://shop.re3d.org/collections/covid-19

Interested in supporting existing efforts to fight COVID-19? See below for how to help in Austin, Houston and Puerto Rico.

Austin

There is a huge maker community that has sprung to action to support the 3D printing of PPE here in Austin and the surrounding areas. One of the largest efforts is being run by Masks for Docs (masksfordocs.com), who are actively soliciting donated face shield prints, assembling the shield, and distributing them to hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, etc – all around the Austin area. To help with this effort, re:3D will be collecting donated 3D printed face shields in drop-boxes at two locations, Brew & Brew and the Draught House Pub.

If you have a 3D printer at home or work & want to help out in the Austin area, you can access the Face Shield Design here.

Recommended Print Settings:

PETG is preferred, but PLA is completely acceptable if you don’t have PETG or are not able to print with it.
3-4 solid top/bottom layers
.3mm layer height
5 Perimeters (AKA Shells or walls)
0% Infill

More Info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cp4UixV3F0hVC99WrSXGiN4wDg0cF17enzbBSWp3gSE/edit?pli=1

Drop off boxes can be found at:

Brew & Brew

500 San Marcos St #105, Austin, TX 78702

The Draught House

4112 Medical Pkwy, Austin, TX 78756

Houston

TXRX and the amazing maker-community continue to organize face shield collection around Houston. We are donating 3D printed face shields as well as hosting a community donation box for makers in the Clear Lake area who are printing the face shields at home. At our factory, the batches are consolidated and sent to TXRX for assembly and distribution to hospitals and first responders in the Houston area. To date, over 1600 face shields have been donated from the Clear Lake area – keep it up!

More information and the design file is available here.

The Clear Lake drop off box can be found at:

re:3D, Inc.

1100 Hercules

STE 220

Houston, TX 77058

Puerto Rico

The maker community, including a few Gigabots have done a fantastic job collaborating in San Juan & beyond. We are currently collecting requests for those in need of PPE and sharing opportunities to connect with Engine-4 and Trede’s efforts in Bayamon and additional efforts. If you live in Mayaguez and would like create face shields to be assembled with sheets that have been donated to Engine-4, a drop off box has been established. A UPRM student has also initiated a Slack channel to share other needs. Email info@re3d.org for access.

The Mayaguez drop off box can be found at:

Maker Chris’ house at:

76 Calle Santiago R Palmer E, Mayaguez PR 00680

https://goo.gl/maps/aBp2M2AcA9T9AnqF7

If you live outside of these areas and/or are seeking ways to contribute, A Form to Volunteer is Available Here. We will be responding to inquiries this weekend and doing our best to facilitate introductions:)

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

Gigabot Engineering Updates – February 2020

Over the last few months, our engineering team has made some iterative design changes to both our Gigabot 3+ and Gigabot X 3D Printers.

Parts modified are:

Gigabot 3+

10063 GB3+ Bed Side Plate
Z-Axis Stepper Motors
11907 GB3+ Acme Flange Nut Cup
11093 GB3+ X/Y Upright

Gigabot X

11377 GBX Stepper Driver

View the video below to find out how they’ve changed!

3d printer engineer engineering gigabot Gigabot X

Optimizing the Properties of Recycled 3D Printing Materials

Below is a repost produced by 3DPrint.com last year, which highlighted our first peer reviewed paper on Gigabot X. You can view download the research, along with other papers under the Gigabot X section at https://re3d.org/gigabot.

In an attempt to mitigate the environmental impact of 3D printing, several organizations have taken to creating recycled filament, made not only from failed prints but from water bottles and other garbage. Inexpensive filament extruders are also available to allow makers to make their own filament from recyclable materials. Not only does recycled filament help the environment, but it also helps 3D printer users to save money and be more self-sufficient, making the technology more viable in remote communities.

3D printer manufacturer re:3D has been working on making their Gigabot 3D printer capable of printing with recycled materials, for the purpose of helping those in remote communities to become more self-sufficient. In a college paper entitled “Fused Particle Fabrication 3-D Printing: Recycled Materials’ Optimization and Mechanical Properties,” a team of researchers used an open source prototype Gigabot X 3D printer to test and optimize recycled 3D printing materials.

In the study, virgin PLA pellets and prints were analyzed and compared to four recycled polymers: PLA, ABS, PET and PP.

“The size characteristics of the various materials were quantiﬁed using digital image processing,” the researchers explain. “Then, power and nozzle velocity matrices were used to optimize the print speed, and a print test was used to maximize the output for a two-temperature stage extruder for a given polymer feedstock. ASTMtype 4 tensile tests were used to determine the mechanical properties of each plastic when they were printed with a particle drive extruder system and were compared with ﬁlament printing.”

The Gigabot X showed itself to be able to print materials 6.5 to 13 times faster than conventional 3D printers depending on the material, with no significant reduction in mechanical properties. This is significant because each time a polymer is heated and extruded, whether during the filament creation process or the 3D printing process, its mechanical properties are degraded. One option to reduce degradation, the researchers explain, is to 3D print directly from scraps, or particles, of recycled plastic.

The Gigabot X was also capable of 3D printing with a wide range of particle sizes and distributions, which opens up more possibilities for the use of materials other than pellets and filament. The processing of the materials was minimal – they only needed to be cleaned and ground or shredded. Mechanical testing using tensile strength was performed and showed that the polymer properties were not degraded; however, the researchers suggest that further mechanical testing should be performed to test properties such as compression, impact resistance, fracture toughness, creep testing, fatigue testing, and flexural strength.

There are a few limitations with the prototype Gigabot X, including lower than normal resolution in the XY plane. Due to the high heat transfer rates from the large contact area of the printer’s hotend, parts that are less than 20 mm x 20 mm cannot be 3D printed reliably. The Gigabot X also currently lacks a part cooling system, so it is limited in the geometries of parts that it can print. However, it is still a prototype, and so can be considered a work in progress.

Authors of the paper include Aubrey L. Woern, Dennis J. Byard, Robert B. Oakley, Matthew J. Fiedler, Samantha L. Snabes and Joshua M. Pearce.

Gigabot 3+ Updates for Fall 2019

re:3D’s Research and Development team never stands still, and while we’re developing the next generation of your Gigabot^® and Gigabot^® X 3D Printers, we’re continually looking for ways to refine the current iteration’s user experience, precision, and quality. As of October 1, 2019, all new Gigabot^®3+ 3D printers ship with the below enhancements. Current Gigabot^® owners can order these as replacement parts that are fully compatible with previous versions.

Major Changes

LED Light Cover

To enhance user comfort and safety, we’ve created a full length 3D printed cover that fits over the top of the front-mounted LED light strip.

Printed Extruder indicators and part numbers

Our Unibody Extruder design, which was released this past spring, as well as our Filament Detection units now features numerical hot end indicator labels for a visual aid for filament loading. Additionally, these and many other 3D printed parts now include part and revision numbers. Not sure what a part is called? Search our store using the part number or share the part number with customer support to help streamline troubleshooting communication.

FIRMWARE RELEASE VERSION 4.2.3

Our newest iteration of Gigabot^®3+ firmware has been posted at re3d.zendesk.com along with instructions for how to flash your firmware. This firmware update includes the following changes:

Increased electrical current to X and Y motors to prevent layer shifts.
Decreased filament feed rate during the Filament Change routine for easier purging.
Minor Bug Fixes

Fit and Strength Adjustments for Polycarbonate 3D Printed Parts

The following parts have had material added for improved strength and durability:

10870 Extruder Tensioner Left
10871 Extruder Tensioner Right

The below parts have had their designs modified for better fit or print quality:

11157 Gigabox Magnet Bracket 1
11245 Gigabox Magnet Bracket 3
11158 Gigabox Magnet Bracket 4
11159 Gigabox Y Support Magnet Bracket
11238 Gigabox Enclosure Corner Cap
10511 XY Upright Cover
11251 Filament Detection Cover Right
11252 Filament Detection Cover Left
10599 Filament Tube Connector

We’ve upped the durability and longevity of our head cable and added 3D printed wire separators inside the cable carrier to protect the electrical wiring as it rolls and unrolls during normal Gigabot® operation.

Under the category of non-3D printed parts, we’ve thickened our bed plates to improve strength and rigidity. The square, left and right leveling blocks attached to the bed frame have had fit adjustments. We’ve also adjusted hole spacing for Gigabox Enclosure panels and split the top panel on the Gigabox Enclosure into two pieces. This improves manufacturing quality as well as increases modularity, as one piece can now be removed for venting or other customizations.

Do you have an improvement or a design change you’d like to see for this or future versions of Gigabot®? Fill out our New Feature Request form and share your ideas with us!

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

3d printer 3d printing engineering firmware gigabot Gigabot X

Grinding Away at GBX: Investigating Printing Materials

This month we have tested a variety of printing materials with the GBX, including recycled PET pellets, grocery store bags, plastic Starbucks cups, and polycarbonate manufacturing waste. And our in-house failed prints and supports? Instead of going into the trash, we’re granulating them into PETG, PLA, and polycarbonate regrind for GBX printing.

A big hurdle for printing with regrind is identifying particle characteristics– size, sphericity, etc– for optimal printing. Using the open source software ImageJ, we’ve determined the ideal particle size to be around 3mm in length, but further testing still needs to be done. For more information on the particle analysis and feed tests, check out our forum posts: ImageJ Particle Analysis and ImageJ Circularity Analysis and Feed Tests

Helen Little

Blog Post Author

The Power of Printing With PETG

We’re excited to now sell PETG at re:3D! Why do you ask? I sat down with Co-Founder and Head of Technology, Matthew Fiedler, for some Q&A on the power of 3D printing with PETG. Read below, check out some video footage of how we are using PETG at re:3D and tune into our inaugural Meet with a 3D Printing Engineer live session next week no matter where in the world you are to chat with our 3D printing engineers live and bring any questions you may have.

Why is re:3D releasing and deciding to sell PETG now?

“Polyethylene terephthalate Glycol is an interesting material for FFF AM because of the enhanced material properties compared to the most common filament, PLA. PETG exhibits high layer to layer bonding strength, slightly elevated Tg of 80C over PLA which has a Tg of around 55C. PETG also allows better light transmission which can be a great benefit for parts that require visible light to pass through them.”

What do people use it for?

“PETG is most commonly known as the plastic used in water bottle and soft drinks containers. In 3D printing, it makes an excellent breakaway support material for parts printed in PLA. The opposite is also true where you can use PLA as breakaway support material for parts made in PETG.”

What are some unique advantages of PETG?

“Parts printed in PETG are also slightly more flexible than those made from PLA.“

What have engineers done with it at re:3D to date?

“We show several videos on our YouTube channel how well it works as support and raft material (like this video). In pellet form, we use PETG with Gigabot X to produce skateboards, decorative interior design pieces and a basket for coffee pickers in Puerto Rico. (You can watch Gigabot X 3D printing a vase with PETG here.)”

What are some of your favorite prints or examples of 3D printing with PETG?

“My two favorite are Gigabot X produced interior design vase because of the stunning visual and light qualities of PETG and the coffee harvest basket for the coffee farm in Puerto Rico.”

Any additional context or pre-emptive answers to questions people may ask about materials?

“You can purchase 5lb and 15lb spools of PETG in our online store. You can print PETG on your Gigabot with a nozzle temp of 235C and bed temp of 60C. A thin coating of Elmer’s X-treme glue stick on the PRINTinZ surface will provide excellent adhesion. You can use the same print speed and layer heights as PLA. We have created a special Simplify3D profile for using PETG and PLA together. You can download it from Zendesk here.”

Have more questions for Matthew on 3D printing wit PETG? Tune into Meet with a 3D Printing Engineer next week via Facebook for a live session with him. Also, if you’re as excited as we are about 3D printing with PETG – watch videos on our YouTube and buy PETG online at shop.re3D.org!

Buy PETG online at shop.re3D.org!

Cat George

Blog Post Author

3d printing engineering filament Gigabot X PETG

Skating on Water Bottles

This post is a follow-up to this one on the Gigabot X pellet printer. If you haven’t checked it out or watched the video, start there!

We know you’ve been dying to know what on Earth our Gigabot X pellet printer prototype was printing in the last update video, so we’re here to deliver!

Without further ado, the reveal.

The slick design was dreamt and drawn up by one of the students working on Gigabot X material validation at Michigan Tech University. Our team was really excited about the idea of printing the board using one of our favorite new materials we’ve been testing: recycled PET.

Giving water bottles a second lease on life as a fun, functional object? As Robert put it, “You know, we had to do it.”

We went through a few trials of the board, snapping a couple of the earlier prints due to the design being a little too thin or not printing it with enough infill. We thickened up the design and increased the infill percentage to make the board a little sturdier, leaving us with a roughly six and a half hour, five pound print.

After popping on some trucks and wheels, re:3D Engineer & Resident Skater Jeric Bautista took the board for a spin behind the Houston office.

Jeric gave the board his stamp of approval. “The skateboard was really fun to use,” he said. “It was smooth to ride and the PET made it nice and springy, which is similar to normal skateboards. Seeing firsthand the functionality of recycled plastic was definitely very cool.”

Keeping plastic bottles out of landfills by giving them a new life as functional objects? That’s something we can roll with.

Morgan Hamel

Blog Post Author

3d printer 3d printing Design engineering enginering gigabot R&D

Gigabot X Update

Hot off the 3D printing press, it's a Gigabot X update!

It’s been about four months since we closed out a successful Kickstarter campaign for our pellet printer, Gigabot X, on April 23rd. Since we last touched base with you, our engineers have been hard at work making improvements to the design for our Kickstarter backer beta testers.

The main focus of the redesign has been the extruder, which has been completely overhauled over the last several months. There’s a new metal extruder body, improved wiring of heaters and the external motor driver, and a redesigned screw for more consistent extrusion.

Some previously 3D printed components within the extruder body were switched to metal for the purpose of durability. Originally printed for ease of testing modifications, our engineers found that some components weren’t lasting as long as they’d like to see due to the tremendous forces being generated within the hopper as the screw extrudes pellets. Now that the design of certain pieces is more final, we started machining certain components in metal to better deal with wear and tear.

The modular, 3D printed hopper has also seen significant changes. With the previous design, our R&D team found that the amount of pellets being pushed through by the screw was much higher than they expected – and wanted. They increased the size of the hopper to slow down the rate, which also provides the dual benefit of not having to replenish the pellets as often.

The first Gigabot X prototype took a trip up to Michigan and is currently residing at Michigan Tech University, where a group of students are performing material testing research as a collaboration supported by our NSF SBIR Phase I. Some of the materials they’ve been validating include PLA, PET, polypropylene, and ABS, in both recycled and virgin forms. One of our favorites we’ve been printing with is recycled PET, better known as the common disposable water bottle.

Michigan Tech has also done us the incredible service of creating improved Slic3r profiles for these materials. The profiles are working fantastically on the new Gigabot X in the Houston office, and we’re seeing improved quality of prints thanks to them. Backers will benefit from these profiles, which have improved the overall printing experience greatly.

Another thing our team is particularly excited about is that the MTU students were also able to 3D print with multiple sized pellets and have also been experimenting with printing directly with ground-up plastics with success. These results were then submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, and we would love to invite the community to check out the research in Materials. You can also share questions and comments with us on the Gigabot X forum by creating an account and logging in.

Testing of Gigabot X is still ongoing and small tweaks continue to be made, but things are moving along well. Over the next three to four months our team will be rounding out testing, cleaning up and finalizing the design and documentation of the machine, and getting the first bots ready for backers. Our team is really excited for the moment that we get to put this technology into the hands of our early adopters.

As re:3D R&D Intern Robert Oakley put it, “I’m really looking forward to seeing what people make with it… It’s really cool to see when people start figuring out how to use our printers to make cool objects that we haven’t thought of before.”

Stay tuned for an upcoming post about what Gigabot X was printing in the video above!

Morgan Hamel

Blog Post Author

New Feature: Linear Advance

Here at re:3D, we are results driven and want to provide the best possible product for our customers. Before the release of the new Gigabot Firmware 4.2.0, we wanted to put the new feature, Linear Advance, to the test. Referenced from the Marlin website, Linear Advance allows users to print more dimensionally accurate parts. Under normal conditions, the extruder gear movement is a linear proportion to all other axes. However, the pressure buildup in the nozzle is not proportional to other axes and this leads to extra material being extruded at the end of each movement.

To solve this issue, linear advance changes the extrusion rate whenever the extruder slows down or speed up, creating an even extrusion line no matter the speed or change in direction. The K value has units of mm of filament compression needed per 1 mm/s extrusion speed [mm/(mm/s)]

The advantages of this feature are as follows:

Better dimensional precision.
Higher printing speeds are possible without any loss of print quality.
Visible and tangible print quality is increased even at lower printing speeds.
No need for high acceleration and jerk values to get sharp edges.

A total of 48 test specimens were printed at a different layer height, speed and K value. Each of the 25mm squares were printed individually to decrease the effects of other variables. A circular indentation was added to the middle of the model to increase the number of changes in travel direction, emphasizing the effects of Linear Advance. Shown in Figure 1, are a set of test pieces printed at 0.31 layer height, 120mm/s and a K value of 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 from left to right.

Each test specimen was measured with a caliper. In Table 1, the dimensions of all of the test squares are shown. The highlighted boxes show the test specimen that had the most accurate dimensional reading in its group. As linear advance decouples the extrusion motor from other axis, the print quality is visually and quantitatively improved. Shown in Figure 1, Linear Advance significantly reduces the extrusion of extra material on the outer edges at higher print speeds and larger layer heights. As print speed decreases, the addition of Linear Advance has less of an impact on the quality, however, it is still beneficial with a delta of 0.2 at 40mm/s and 0.15 layer height. These results showed to be consistent with expectations because as flow rate increases, the more buildup of pressure and potential for extra material to come out of the nozzle. With 8 test samples of 0.1 K value and 4 samples of 0.05 K value excelling in accuracy, a weighted average of K= 0.08 provides a good value to improve print quality across the board.

If you are interested in using this feature on your Gigabot, please visit the full feature list of the new Gigabot Firmware 4.2.0 here

Noah Pan

Blog Post Author

Gigabot 3+ Firmware 4.2.0

Introducing the new Gigabot Firmware 4.2.0. This new firmware release features the latest version of Marlin 1.1.8 and is packed with new features that will elevate the user’s experience with the Gigabot.

Notice: This Gigabot Firmware is only for users with the Azteeg X3 Pro (GB-371 and up) with the dual limit switch kit. This version will not work for bots with single Y limit switches.

Here are the links to purchase the upgrade kit, new Simplify3D profiles, and to Download the Firmware

Table of Contents:

A New Look

Dual Y Axis Homing Switch

Linear Advance

Ditto Printing

Filament Change Routine

Continuous Printing After Filament Change

Babystepping for Perfect 1st Layer

Other Links

A New Look

The changes in the new firmware can immediately be noticed on the main info screen of the Gigabot. The larger font makes it easier to read and navigate. (Figure 1.)

The contents and item order of the Prepare Menu have also changed to create an easier and more accessible experience. The preheat option is placed on the top so a target temperature can be set quickly. A new and improved Change Filament routine item is shown followed by the Move Axis menu plus three axis homing actions. (Figure 2.)

About Printer is the newest addition to the screen menu (Figure 3). This menu displays useful information about the printer, such as the model number, firmware upload date, prints completed/ failed, total print time and longest print job completed. This data can be used to keep track of a regular maintenance schedule for your Gigabot.

Dual Y Axis Homing Switch

A major feature of the new firmware is the support for dual Y-axis homing switches. This feature provides more consistent performance and a higher degree of dimensionally accurate printed parts out of the Gigabot.

Previously, a single homing switch existed on the left Y motor, resulting in a carriage that was not consistently parallel to the machine frame. During a filament change, it was possible for an accidental displacement of the carriage, losing positional accuracy (Figure 4).

With dual Y axis homing switches, the machine is guaranteed to be squared to the frame every time the machine is homed (Figure 5). This will provide more consistent performance and accuracy for all prints. Paired with the new filament change routine, the Gigabot will show precise repeatability.

Shown in Figure 6 is a print completed to torture test the dual homing switch feature. A line of gcode was inserted after each layer incrementation to move the extruder aside, disengage the stepper motors, rehome, and continue printing. The results show the consist carriage squaring that the dual homing switch provides. After over 1000 layers, the tower shows homogenous layer quality with no layer shifts.

Linear Advance

Do your prints ever look like the image in Figure 7? Linear Advance is a new feature that allows users to print more dimensionally accurate parts. Under normal conditions, the extruder gear moves linearly in proportion to all other axes. However, the pressure buildup in the nozzle is not proportional to other axes and this leads to extra material being extruded at the end of each movement.

To solve this issue, Linear Advance changes the extrusion rate whenever the extruder slows down or speeds up, creating an even extrusion line regardless of the speed or change in direction.

The advantages of this feature are listed on the Marlin website and are as follows:

Better dimensional precision due to reduced bleeding edges
Higher printing speeds are possible without any loss of print quality
Visible and tangible print quality is increased even at lower printing speeds
No need for high acceleration and jerk values to get sharp edges

re:3D performed an extensive test on this new feature to determine the optimal K value for different layer heights and printing speeds. Shown in Figure 8, is a set of test specimens printed with different K values. Figure 9. shows the improved dimensional accuracy from a specific K value.

A weighted average value of K= 0.08 was chosen, improving print quality for a number of different print settings.

Check the blog post for more information:

Ditto Printing

Duplicate nozzle printing (aka. Ditto Printing) allows the user to print with both nozzles at the same time. It can produce two identical parts with the only constraint that the X length of the object is smaller than the hotend offset (~55mm on the Gigabot). This feature is particularly useful when mass producing parts, cutting printing time in half which can be very beneficial. To enable this feature, download the new 4.3 Simplify Profile for Gigabot, choose PLA Duplicate Nozzle or PC-Max Duplicate Nozzle under the Auto-configure for Material tab and Duplicate Extruders under the Auto-Configure Extruders tab. In the slicer, place only one model on the build platform and start the print. The bot will produce two identical parts.

(Note that this feature works by mirroring the left extruder to the right. Only the left filament runout sensor will be active and the right will be inactive.)

re:3D uses this feature to increase the speed of printing in-house production parts (Figure 11,12).

This feature can also be used to infuse parts together! Like this crazy dual color infused Marvin or 3DBenchy boat shown in Figure 13 & 14.

Filament Change Routine

The new filament change routine provides a series of walk-through interfaces that guides the user through the entire process. The user first selects the extruder and material type that needs to be changed. (Figure 15)

Shown in Figure 16 are a series of walkthrough LCD screens. The Gigabot will first heat the desired nozzle, then automatically unload the filament. The LCD will then direct the user to unload the filament and insert new filament. The filament will automatically purge and ask the user if they want to purge more or continue printing. There are also added safety features that will unheat the nozzle if the machine has been idle for a minute.

Previously, filament changes were tedious with the cable chain obstructing the workspace. With the new firmware, the nozzle park position is on the right side, avoiding all obstructions and allowing for easier filament changes. (Figure 17.)

Please Note: For filament changes from high-temperature material to lower temperature materials (Ex. Polycarbonate to PLA), Please manually heat the nozzle up to the melting temperature of the higher temperature material, switch materials, then purge 200mm of filament and lower the temperature down for the second material. This will clear out the nozzle of any previous material to prevent jamming.

Continuous Printing After Filament Change

Continuous printing after filament change is a feature specifically designed for the long prints that the Gigabot produces. Often times, the Gigabot uses an entire spool of filament and upon filament runout, the machine pauses and waits for the user to change filament. Production time will dramatically increase if the user is unavailable.

With the new Continuous Printing feature, the user loads two spools of the same filament into both extruders. When the first spool runs out, the Gigabot will automatically unload the filament, load and prime the second nozzle, and continue printing. This feature is listed under Controls> Filament> Filament Runout (Figure 18). The user can choose between two filament runout features, pause for change or continuous printing. These options are also available during mid-print so the user can change settings as any given time.

For very long prints, once the second filament spool starts printing with the left nozzle, it is suggested to pause the print and load another spool of filament into the right nozzle.

Shown in Figure 19 & 20 are some of the largest prints that re3D has done. The print time could have been dramatically shortened with the use of continuous printing after filament runout.

Babystepping for Perfect 1st Layer

Babystepping allows the user to adjust the Z height at very small increments to achieve a higher quality first layer. To use this feature, double click the encoder during the first layer of your print until the LCD screen displays the Babystepping screen as shown in Figure 21. Scroll the knob to move the Z up or down (clockwise to move the nozzle away and counterclockwise to move the nozzle closer). Babystepping can also be activated through a M290 gcode. Look at that perfect first layer in Figure 22!

re:3D uses this feature to accommodate for the expansion of the heated bed during high temperature prints such as polycarbonate. A M290 Z0.25 moves the nozzle 0.25mm away from the bed and M290 Z-0.25 moves the nozzle 0.25mm towards the bed.

As seen in Figure 23, Babystepping can dramatically improve the first layer quality. At the start of this print, the nozzle was too far from the bed and the babystepping was adjusted to -0.217mm. After the adjustment, a perfect layer line was achieved.