Engineering Updates – Thermocouples, Hot Ends, and 3D Printing Research

This is called the “Engineering” Update, but it’s really a reflection of all the work going on at re:3D – engineering, R&D, customer service, operations and everyone else included. As our company ethos begins, “We are a team…”, and that team has been working hard to solve problems for our customers, improve the performance of our products and contribute to the body of knowledge within our additive manufacturing industry. Here are a few snapshots of what’s been happening at re:3D since our last post.

The Gigabot FFF (Filament) Platform

MCU Thermocouple Errors

For the past couple of years, an intermittent problem would pop up on the Gigabot 4 (and GigabotX 2) printers related to the thermocouples. Sometimes the printer would throw an “MCU shutdown: Thermocouple reader error” fault during the bootup cycle (Figure 1). There were some arcane incantations that could be performed to sometimes clear the fault in any given instance, but ultimately, better grounding of the extruder seemed to solve the problem. Recently the error started showing up again, potentially delaying product shipments. So the engineering team put intense focus on investigating the cause of the error.

Figure 1: “MCU Shutdown” error thrown by Klipper due to a fault registered on the MAX31856 thermocouple chip.

re:3D’s uses the Archimajor 3D printer motherboard from US manufacturer UltiMachine (South Pittsburg, Tennessee). The Archim boards use a MAX31856 chip from Maxim Integrated to amplify and digitize the input signals from the thermocouples, and it was this chip that was throwing the pesky error. Buried in an obscure Maxim FAQ was a cryptic comment about shunting the negative lead of the thermocouple input to ground to improve performance. The engineering team tried it out (Figure 2), and this has reliably prevented the error from occurring. re:3D now has a field-fix available for service technicians to use when encountering this issue on customer machines and is also working with UltiMachine to incorporate this feature into future versions of the motherboard.

Figure 2: Shunt resistors installed on the thermocouple inputs.

Terabot Hot End Conversion

re:3D has a long history of designing and testing extruders and hot ends, always looking for ways to push more plastic to print faster. (OG members of the re:3D community might remember the early “Mondo” hot end prototype.) To keep up with its larger build volume (915 x 915 x 1000mm), re:3D’s Terabot filament printers have been shipping with “20 Series” hot ends, which have a larger heater block to increase the residence time of the plastic within the heat zone and speed the melting process (Figure 3). However, testing has shown that with the proper slicer and configuration settings, re:3D’s standard hot ends perform equally well and are less prone to occasional inconsistent flow or leaking at the nozzle.

To improve overall performance and reliability, Terabots will now be supplied with standard hot ends. This is a minor engineering change, and the Customer Service team has developed a simple and easy-to-install upgrade kit that requires no major modifications to existing Terabot platforms. The Customer Service team is looking for initial Beta Testers for the Terabot hot end conversion kits. If you are interested, you can read more about re:3D’s Beta Testing Program below.

re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Std Hot End
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Series 20
Figure 3: Comparison of 20 Series hot ends (a) and standard hot ends (b) installed on a Terabot.

The GigabotX FGF (Pellet) Platform

There has been progress on both GBX part cooling and GBX bed mesh compensation, but the Gigaboss leading those efforts is busy finishing his master’s thesis, so you’ll have to hold off until next time for a written update. Do worry – it’ll be worth the wait.

Software Improvements

re:Bugger

This spring semester, re:3D has been pleased to host Yasseen Hilal, who is studying computer science at the University of Texas, as a software engineering intern. Yasseen took on the task of developing a printer debugging tool for use in the field. The re:Bugger (Figure 4) simply plugs into a Gigabot 4, Terabot 4 or GigabotX 2 via a network cable, then through a simple and intuitive interface reads the available log files to detect errors and provide possible solutions. Log files and performance graphs can be easily exported from the printer onto a USB drive for later review, and the re:Bugger also allows users to flash the latest printer firmware onto the Raspberry Pi without needing network access. This all helps reduce printer downtime.

Yasseen did a great job on his project, and the re:3D team wishes him all the best on his future endeavours.

Figure 4: The re:Bugger printer debugging tool.

Bed Mesh Compensation

There was recent feedback on accuracy and standard operation being manually intensive. Updates have since been made on the mesh compensation workflow which will now carry out a startup procedure to automatically calibrate the Z offset, tram the Z lead screws, and adaptively probe only the area where the part is printing.

This new workflow is meant to keep manual efforts to a minimum during calibration. This procedure is written into Klipper as a comprehensive macro and can be called at the beginning of a print using a single line of Gcode in the slicer.
This master macro approach makes usage simple for the end user while also ensuring accurate and standardized results. There are also optional advanced parameters for users who want to fine tune and experiment with values.

  • Procedures:
  • Prime the extruder
  • Clean the nozzle for accurate offset calibration and probing
  • Model calibration
  • Z offset Calibration
  • Z tilt calibration
  • Adaptive probing

We are actively seeking feedback through our beta testing program, and encourage new testers to contribute their insights to further refine and improve this workflow. You can learn more about re:3D’s Beat Tester Program below.

HELM

Work also continues on HELM, the printer fleet management software under development at re:3D. There have been some minor changes under the hood since the last update, but the most obvious improvement is the user interface – it’s cleaner and easier for casual operators to use (Figure 5). This is an open-source project, and you can try the application yourself, report problems, contribute, or follow progress here: Helm on GitHub.

Figure 5: Comparison of the HELM GUIs - older version on top, updated version on bottom.

Beta Testing Programs

As an open source company, re:3D celebrates collaboration with our community of users, customers and vendors. Historically, select new changes or features were offered to existing customers for ‘beta testing’ as part of re:3D’s internal engineering process. The Beta Testing Program has since evolved and become more formalized with contributions from engineering, customer service and sales and marketing. An application form is now available on the re:3D website here where you can apply to be a beta tester through the following steps:

1. Choose Your Desired Beta Product/Software

Read a short summary of available beta products with how it will improve the Gigabot user experience. Ideally, applicants will have non-modified printers so that the performance improvements of the beta products can be accurately assessed.

2. Sign Up

Fill out a Google Form to express your interest in beta testing the selected product for which you’d like to be considered.

3. Confirm Acceptance

A notification email will be sent to confirm your selection as a beta tester. This will include a beta tester release agreement, a defined testing period, steps on how to submit feedback, and a link to the Forum for updates on these products. Invoicing and delivery information will also be requested, then the beta products will be shipped.

4. Begin Testing

An Instructional Guide with detailed installation instructions and troubleshooting tips will be provided with the beta products.

A Google Form will be sent to beta testers no less than monthly for each product to solicit feedback and recommendations.

5. Be a proud GigaTester!

For now, there are two beta test products available for consideration:

  • Bed Mesh Compensation (Gigabot 4 only)
  • Terabot Hot End Conversion (Terabot family)

Watch for these additional beta testing opportunities in the coming weeks:

  • Bed Mesh Compensation (GigabotX 2 only)
  • Feedstock Crammer (GigabotX family)
  • 1.75mm Filament Conversion Kit (Gigabot / Terabot family)
  • GBX Part Cooling (GigabotX family)

R&D Programs

Though there has been recent turmoil and uncertainty in the news about federal research grants, re:3D continues to support R&D contracts for the Department of Defense (DOD), NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Some of those projects went along on re:3D’s recent trip to Hawai’i, but the others have been making progress too!

ReCreateIt (NSF)

ReCreateIt is a multinational initiative led by re:3D, with a goal to transform waste plastic into valuable products through 3D-printing and community-led design. To achieve this mission, re:3D is collaborating with the Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where a Gigalab was designed and delivered in December 2024. Since its delivery, the Gigalab has been outfitted with a granulator, pellet/flake dryer, a GBX2 XLT, all necessary mechanical and electrical tools, and personal protective equipment. The long-term goals of the ReCreateIt Gigalab is to recycle and reuse over 10,000 lbs of local plastic waste over its lifetime while being a net-zero energy manufacturing lab.

Compared to other Gigalabs, the ReCreateIt Gigalab will feature various additional sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, emissions, particulate matter, and energy usage. The sensors will allow the team to construct a comprehensive model of the Gigalab system and quantitatively assess the environmental impact of the Gigalab and the recycling efforts. This data may also provide the re:3D team with insights that may spur redesigns and improvements of future Gigalabs towards more energy-efficient and sustainable systems.

To support daily operations, three Gigalab associates have joined the team to collect and sort incoming waste plastics, and to operate the machinery that processes and prints with the recycled materials. The re:3D team is actively mentoring the associates to enable them to operate and troubleshoot the Gigalab equipment safely and autonomously (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Gigalab associates celebrating the first print of the ReCreateIt Gigalab!

There have also been advancements in 3D printing with recycled polypropylene (PP) — the second most used commodity plastic in the world. In fact, the vases shown in Figure 7 below are printed from 100% recycled PP, which were originally storage bins collected at the ReStore that were destined for the landfill. While there still are challenges to scale up into furniture pieces such as end tables or stools, achieving successful and functional parts using 100% recycled material, without any additives or blending agents, is a significant milestone in sustainable manufacturing.

Figure 7: Vases printed from 100% recycled polypropylene (PP).

To showcase the progress on the project to the public and local media, the ReStore and re:3D teams co-hosted a soft opening at the ReStore on April 19. Well over a hundred curious customers stopped by to take a look at a large array of printed parts made from recycled materials. Attendees were invited to share their ideas for future products, offer feedback on existing prints, and learn more about the environmental and social impact of the initiative. The majority of visitors also expressed major interest in the behind-the-scenes of the project and participated in tours of the Gigalab, where they got a first hand look at the recycling and manufacturing process including the GBX2 in motion.

re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Convergence Soft Opening 4
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Convergence Soft Opening 3
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Convergence Soft Opening 2
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - Convergence Soft Opening 1
Figure 8: ReCreateIt Soft Opening at the AHFH ReStore.

If you’re in the Austin area, stop by the ReStore at 500 W. Ben White Blvd where you can check out the prints in person, buy a piece printed from recycled waste and directly participate in the circular economy yourself.

“Bigger, Better, Faster” FGF (DOD/US Army)

The large FGF printer being developed under a US Army SBIR R&D award has come a long way since the last update. The frame is complete, and the linear motion components – including ball screw actuators and servo motors – are installed and commissioned (Figure 9(a&b)). Another major change from re:3D’s traditional build style is the use of a separate HMI (human-machine interface) and control pedestal (Figure 9(a&c)), rather than having an electrical box and touchscreen interface mounted directly to the printer’s frame. Not only does this change allow for the room needed for added servo motor controllers and power supplies, it makes the electrical and control components more accessible for service. Having a full computer built into the HMI pedestal will allow users to access third-party software when necessary for servo motor diagnostics, along with providing opportunities for performing CAD and slicing tasks at the same workstation as the printer operation, without requiring network access – which is not available or desirable in some situations.

re3D Engineering Blog post update April - army sequential_a
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - army sequential _ b
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - army sequential_c
Figure 9: Printer frame with HMI/control pedestal (a); extruder mounted on z-axis actuator with temporary side hopper (b); inside view of HMI/control pedestal during initial wiring (c).

After commissioning and initial tuning, the printer’s extruder was finally tested. This is a novel and exciting new design from Dr. David Kazmer’s group at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, who are collaborating with re:3D on this effort. After a few hiccups caused PLA to thermally degrade inside the barrel, DynaPurge became the first material extruded through this system. As shown in Figure 10, the first extrusion looks like – well, you know. But it’s a first extrusion nonetheless, and the team is excited for the rapid progress of this project.

Figure 10: First extrusion! No judgments, please.

Additively Manufactured Thermal Protection Systems (NASA)

re:3D’s R&D team designed and built a 5-axis printer to deposit ablative foam materials onto non-planar surfaces. This has been done before using robotic arms, but this is a unique design based on a gantry system, intended to investigate the economy of a different kinematic approach to conformal printing. The frame and x, y and z axes systems are similar to re:3D’s Terabot printer. But to add the extra degrees of freedom, the extruder (a ViscoTec volumetric deposition pump) rotates about the Y-axis, and the whole bridge rail rotates about the X-axis (Figure 11(a&b)).

re3D Engineering Blog post update April - AMTPS axes _a_
re3D Engineering Blog post update April - AMTPS axes _b_
Figure 11: AMTPS printer axes definitions (a) and motor locations (b).

Rather than adapt the Archimajor motherboard for 5-axis control, re:3D collaborated with the Siemens team at the Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH) to implement an advanced industrial control system. The CATCH team helped identify appropriate servo motors and control hardware for the printer, and also provided training both at a partner solution provider’s site in Houston and at their own Machine Tools facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

For the final touches and commissioning of the printer, the system was sent to Bobby Cole and his team at Think-PLC in Lexington, North Carolina. Think-PLC is a Siemens Solution Partner, and Bobby is highly regarded in the world of industrial controls and automation for his work with machine builders and manufacturers, and re:3D’s experience bears this out. Think-PLC identified and corrected some deficiencies in the AMTPS printer after they received it, then worked to understand the system requirements and implement control kinematics to achieve optimal performance within the limitations of the printer’s mechanical design. It has been great working with them and watching the printer come to life (Figure 12). The AMTPS printer will soon be returning to re:3D in Austin for the installation of the deposition system and the beginning of print testing.

Figure 12: AMTPS printer demonstrating a range of kinematic motion at Think-PLC’s facility in North Carolina. (Credit: Think-PLC)

Another collaborator on this project is Addiguru, a software company that specializes in in-situ monitoring technologies for additive manufacturing processes. While re:3D is designing a mounting system for multiple cameras to monitor the deposition of the TPS foam onto the substrate (Figure 13), Addiguru is developing the software to measure the width of the extrusion and flag excessive variances in volumetric deposition in real time. Although it won’t be implemented within the scope of this effort, future work on this project could incorporate Addiguru’s software to provide feedback into the Siemens system for closed-loop control of the deposition process.

Figure 13: Three-camera mount system providing full video coverage of the ViscoTek deposition nozzle.

Water Bottle Granulation (DOE)

The collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) continues with a focus on separating the recycled PET (rPET) flake from granulated water bottles out of the flake/water slurry coming from the granulator. ORNL is procuring a hydrocyclone for the separation step. Hydrocyclones produce opposing vortices within a chamber which force large, heavy particles out through a reject port and lift lighter fines and liquid out through the overflow. The physics of hydrocyclones is quite interesting and watching YouTube videos about them can easily burn a couple of hours from your day.

Once the rPET flake is separated from the water it must be dried, and re:3D has been studying the efficacy of desiccant drying on wet flake. A sample of granulated water bottles was soaked in water overnight, then dried in an industrial recirculating desiccant dryer at 70°C. The moisture content of the flake was measured using gravimetric analysis (i.e., loss on drying) at multiple steps throughout the process. As shown in Figure 14, as little as three hours is required to dry the flake back to its original, equilibrium condition, and an additional three hours may be sufficient to dry the flake sufficiently for immediate extrusion processing (below 200 PPM). These results are consistent with re:3D’s previous tests on “Drying rPET Water Bottle Flake”.

Figure 14: rPET flake moisture content measured throughout a water soaking and drying process.

It’s a bit of a chore to collect, edit and format the information and photos telling re:3D’s behind-the-scenes technical stories, but it’s also incredibly fulfilling to be able to share the good work going on here and appreciate the cool factor in what we get to do every day. All in all, it’s worth the time.

Thanks for reading along, and as always… Happy Printing!

Patrick, Chris, Mitchell, Taylor

Blog Post Authors

A Journey of 3D Printing Innovation & Collaboration with YLAI Fellows

re:3D was first introduced to the US Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) in 2017. YLAI’s vision is to create a vibrant network of entrepreneurs across the Western Hemisphere. A key way this is achieved is through a Fellowship Placement with a business in the United States for four weeks. The Fellowship Placement is an opportunity for YLAI Fellows to experience the U.S. work culture and connect with key players in their industry. The YLAI Fellowship offers hands-on experience in exchange for using their skills and network to contribute to U.S. businesses and organizations. The Fellowship not only provides business insight and network for the Fellows but also provides their placement companies with cross-cultural understanding. Businesses form long-term relationships with their Fellows, extending the Fellowship well past the initial four-week placement.

Since 2017, re:3D has hosted three YLAI Fellows, the most recent being Juliana Martinelli from Brasília, Brazil in May of 2023. Samantha Snabes, re:3D’s Co-Founder and Catalyst and Juliana met over video to ensure that re:3D would be a good match for her fellowship. Juliana’s company, InovaHouse3D, 3D prints with cement and has a mission to print affordable houses in Brazil. Even though re:3D prints with plastic, we also have a social responsibility aspect to our work and admire InovaHouse3D’s goals!

Frame of the Ayla 130, InovaHouse 3D's Cement Printer
Frame of the Ayla 130, InovaHouse 3D's Cement Printer
InovaHouse3D Team
InovaHouse3D Team
Cement 3D Printed Blocks
Cement 3D Printed Blocks
Extruder of the Ayla 130, InovaHouse 3D's Cement Printer
Extruder of the Ayla 130, InovaHouse 3D's Cement Printer

Juliana worked on three different projects during her Fellowship. The largest project she undertook was completing a customer outreach campaign to re:3D’s customers who spoke Spanish and Portuguese. Juliana individually contacted forty-four customers in Central and South America. She successfully heard back from twenty-five customers via email and set up in-depth phone calls with them. During these conversations, Juliana learned what each customer used their Gigabot for and the current state of their Gigabot. Juliana provided the customers with re:3D resources and connected them with other members of the re:3D team. re:3D values the relationships with our customers and the outreach Juliana did have a positive impact in connecting with customers we don’t normally get the chance to talk to. Additionally, this outreach campaign connected Juliana with more players in the Additive Manufacturing space in Latin America.

Because of Juliana’s background in Electrical Engineering, she was able to problem-solve grounding issues with Gigabot’s electrical box. This was incredibly helpful as re:3D was building up its engineering team. The final project Juliana worked on was a personal project. She wanted to pitch InoveHouse3D to a few American Investors to get their valuable feedback. Juliana was able to meet with two different Investors and strengthen her InovaHouse3D deck.

By the end of Juliana’s Fellowship, a strong connection had formed between her and the re:3D team. YLAI had let re:3D, and the other businesses hosting fellows, know that there would be an opportunity for an Outbound Exchange program. In this exchange, someone from re:3D would go to Brazil for two weeks and work with Juliana’s company. Jennifer Dennington, re:3D’s Account Manager, applied for the Outbound Exchange Program and was awarded the grant! Jennifer left for the exchange in early January 2024 to amplify the future of Additive Manufacturing in Brazil.

From Left to Right: Jennifer Dennington, Juliana Martinelli, and Cheyena Davis

One of the main projects Juliana and Jennifer worked on was creating a storytelling blog post and video on re:3D’s customer Rhodes. Rhodes produces around 5 million components per year to assemble various models of office, school, and training chairs and public seats in airports, theaters, cinemas, and football stadiums. The blog article and video about how Rhodes uses its Gigabot will be published soon, so stay on the lookout for that.

Another project Jennifer and Juliana collaborated on was creating Additive Manufacturing lessons for Brazil. Jennifer’s background is in Special Education, she has a passion for making education fun and accessible to all people. Juliana teaches lessons to schoolchildren at the Planetário de Brasília (Brasília’s Planetarium) and has connections with public schools in Brasília. Before coming to Brazil, Jennifer knew she would share re:3D’s Introduction to Autodesk’s TinkerCAD lesson where Juliana would teach students how to make 3D models on their computers. However, after speaking with Juliana, Jennifer learned that many students do not have access to technology at school. Jennifer shifted gears and decided the first lesson she needed to create was an Introduction to 3D Printing lesson for students with limited to no knowledge of 3D printing and limited access to technology.

Jennifer modeled this lesson after the 5E Model of Instruction where students engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate 3D printing. She only included resources that Juliana had readily available to be used in the lesson. For example, because of Juliana’s partnership with the University of Brasília’s LAB, Juliana could bring 3D printed examples to show the students on top of having the Google Slides presentation. Click here to view and download the Introduction to 3D Printing Google Slides and here to view and download the full lesson plan.

Cement Lab at the University of Brasília

After Jennifer finished the Introduction to 3D Printing lesson, she went back to the Introduction to TinkerCAD lesson because it is a personal favorite of re:3Ds. TinkerCAD is a fantastic resource for teachers because you don’t have to have a 3D printer to do incredible and engaging lessons with your students. Teachers will have students they do not expect to interact with this lesson get really into it and become incredible 3D designers. Not only can students make 3D designs with TinkerCAD, but also they can create circuit boards and learn how to write code, all for free! TinkerCAD puts out challenges each month for students to compete in and educators post lessons they have created on TinkerCAD as well. Click here to view and download the Introduction to TinkerCAD Google Slides and here to view and download the full lesson plan and other additional resources. These lessons can be replicated and customized to fit different cultural contexts, educational settings, and learner demographics, thereby extending the reach and impact of 3D printing education. Jennifer hopes her lessons contribute to building a future workforce equipped with valuable science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) knowledge and competencies, thus promoting innovation and economic development in the long run.

Juliana took Jennifer on a tour of Programando o Futuro, an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling center with a broader mission of providing free technology education to the community. Their hands-on courses in robotics, 3D printing, computer repair, and marketing aim to equip people with tech skills, boasting a 55% job placement rate. With a commitment to inclusivity and sustainability, Programando o Futuro engages in extensive plastic recycling, collaborating with companies like HP to transform shredded plastic into new products or filament for their 3D printing lab. Programando o Futuro has repaired and donated over 3,000 computers and aims to recycle 1,100 tons of material this year. They want to partner with Juliana and the University of Brasília to get a spectrometer, which will help them rapidly and accurately identify the types of plastic that are donated. Additionally, Juliana wishes to use her partnership with Programando o Futuro to apply for re:3D’s Gigaprize program or apply for a grant to purchase a GigabotX 2 for their organizations.

Set-up for the phone repair class
Set-up for the phone repair class
Fixed computers going through testing
Fixed computers going through testing
Recycled fans
Recycled fans
Recycled PCB boards
Recycled PCB boards
Recycled wires
Recycled wires
Recycled plastic waiting to be sorted
Recycled plastic waiting to be sorted
Ground up recycled ABS
Ground up recycled ABS

A bonus meeting happened with Bryan Murphy, Associate Chief Engineer for the International Space Station (ISS), at Boeing to bring ISS Mini-Mimics to Brazil. The ISS MIMIC is a 1:100 scale articulating model of the International Space Station (ISS) that runs off of live data streaming from the real ISS. re:3D has had the joy of helping the ISS Mimic team by 3D printing solar arrays and participating in the 11 Freeman Library Community Builds of the ISS Mimic. If you would like to learn more about the ISS Mimic, check out this article written by re:3D. Jennifer and Juliana’s meeting with Bryan was successful because they secured three ISS Mini-Mimics for educational institutions in Brasília. The goal is that after Juliana completes the ISS Mini-Mimic with students, she will then apply for grants to fund an ISS Mimic community build at the Planetarium! She is also hoping to get support from Brazil’s only astronaut, Marcos Pontes, who is currently a Senator for São Paulo, in this endeavor. Bringing the ISS Mimic to Brazil has the potential to foster a lasting interest in space exploration and STEAM fields to all who encounter it.

A final fortuitous event happened at the end of Jennifer’s time in Brazil when she was able to meet with the 2024 Class of Brazilian YLAI Fellows. Jennifer was in Brasília at the same time as their orientation for YLAI. Juliana and Jennifer went and spoke about their YLAI experience with the Fellows for an hour and a half. The Fellows Jennifer met were awe-inspiring entrepreneurs. They have built up their business and are incredibly hard workers. When they come to the US they are paired with businesses and are partnered with anyone from the CEO of the company to an Account Manager. YLAI is not only about the Fellows coming in and learning from an American company but also about them sharing their knowledge and passion with the company they are paired with. If you are interested in hosting a YLAI Fellow, please email info@re3d.org, and Jennifer will put you in touch with the proper contacts. re:3D hopes to continue partnering with YLAI for as long as we are around.

Jennifer Dennington

Blog Post Author

New Year, New Printers! Meet Gigabot 4, Terabot 4, GigabotX 2 & TerabotX 2

A green plated circuit board with many electrical components.
the full line of Gigabot 3D Printers
Left To Right: Gigabot 4 with Enclosure, Gigabot 4 XLT, Terabot 4, Exabot, TerabotX 2, GigabotX 2 XLT, GigabotX 2 with Enclosure

Introducing the Next Evolution of re:3D 3D Printers Featuring Klipper Firmware and ArchiMajor Control Boards

When deciding what changes to make on the next version of your Gigabot and Terabot 3D printers, your needs came first. The Gigabot family of customers has always inspired us to push this technology forward because it’s what you do with it that motivates us. Whether you’re teaching the next generation of change makers or innovating in advanced manufacturing, your feedback determines where we put our R&D focus.

The biggest visual change you’ll see on all versions of re:3D 3D printers is the front mounted 10” full color LCD touchscreen. The touchscreen includes temperature, and motion controls, temperature history graph and preset macros. The menu options add file management, gcode editing, command line input, and print history analytics and tracking. Also included is a webcam viewer for remote monitoring and an integrated USB port for loading gcode files directly on to your printer.

This touchscreen software is just one component of our new Klipper open-source software stack. We’ve transitioned from Marlin firmware to Klipper because it enables high precision stepper movement, smooth pressure advance and input shaping, and also an API server that enables opportunity for custom development. The Klipper web application runs the touchscreen from a Raspberry Pi and enables you to access the printer from your local network on desktop or mobile browsers with all the same control options you’re able to perform directly at the printer.

In order to successfully integrate this exciting new software stack, we’ve overhauled our electrical system starting with the control board. We partnered with US based manufacturer Ultimachine to design a custom 32bit ArchiMajor control board for your Gigabot. The advanced board features eight integrated stepper motor drivers, three heater outputs, five thermocouple inputs, four controllable fans and eight endstops. These provide flexibility to extend the functionality of your Gigabot, for example, adding an additional thermocouple or part cooling which is under development at re:3D. The new control board and the Raspberry Pi are now inside a 16” electrical enclosure with an integrated power switch, power filter and more durable flex rated cabling. Not only does this board increase your 3D printer’s processing power, but it allows us to better control our supply chain and electronics quality with a strong US manufacturer as our partner.

View the press release about this partnership.

32Bit Ultimachine ArchiMajor PCB
32Bit Ultimachine ArchiMajor PCB
Klipper Touchscreen Interface
Klipper Touchscreen Interface
16" Electrical Enclosure on Gigabot 4
16" Electrical Enclosure on Gigabot 4
Raspberry Pi 4 Inside Electrical Enclosure
Raspberry Pi 4 Inside Electrical Enclosure

Platform-Wide Features

Stress tested in the re:3D factory, the new tube-style thermocouple is a more durable, consistent and accurate temperature reader for your Gigabot. We’ve added this improvement with a ½” thick aluminum bed plate, that is precision-blanchard ground flat and parallel to less than 0.005”. The bed is heated by a full-size silicone rubber heating pad, which allows the printing of high-temperature industrial materials. A robust cable carrier and cables rated for 1 million cycles of flexing protects all moving wires. Additionally, all unenclosed printers come standard with full side panels to protect electronics and cabling

Tube vs. Screw-In Thermocouple
Tube vs. Screw-In Thermocouple
Thicker 1/2" Bed Plate
Thicker 1/2" Bed Plate
Gigabot Cable Carrier
Gigabot Cable Carrier

FFF Filament 3D Printer Features

In the transition from Gigabot 3+ to Gigabot 4 we’ve pushed out some changes early as technology improvements have increased reliability and longevity for your printer. Many of these updates center around the extrusion system: The all metal extruder body, 20 Series Hot Ends for 0.8 nozzles and Terabot 4, tube style thermocouples and heater cartridges are all standard, combining to make the most robust, industrial extruder system ever on your Gigabot.

To keep Gigabot affordable you may still purchase a regular 600 mm cubed Gigabot 4 as a kit which ships in flatpack boxes, and the full enclosure is an optional add-on for pre-built Gigabot 4 and Gigabot 4 XLT sized 3D printers. Terabot 4, as before, comes with the enclosure standard. One change we’ve integrated as standard is the side panels on your Gigabot cover the full side on the left and right to provide better protection for the motors and electronic components.

As with the changes we made during Gigabot 3+’s lifespan, This is just the beginning. Gigabot 4 will continue to iterate and grow and change to meet your needs as the technology evolves. Plans are already in the works for a filament dry box, bed probing and even more robust build plate and frame improvements. Stay tuned!

Gigabot 4 Metal Body Extruder
Gigabot 4 Metal Body Extruder
20 Series Hot End for 0.8mm Nozzles and Terabot 4
20 Series Hot End for 0.8mm Nozzles and Terabot 4

FGF Pellet and Granule 3D Printer Features

Since releasing the beta version of Gigabot X in 2018, re:3D invested significant R&D resources from community support to produce a more agile, advanced and capable fused granular fabrication 3D printer.

GigabotX 2 features a feeding and extrusion system precision engineered for processing pelletized and granular thermoplastics. Material is manually fed into the 24 hour capacity hopper which rides on an independent hopper gantry system, to allow a full and smooth range of motion and consistent feeding into the extruder.

Print material flows from the hopper into the extruder via either the gravity fed feed throat or the optional active feeding system, or crammer, which includes a motorized auger that pushes material into the extruder with a user controllable feed rate.

The GigabotX 2 extruder is powered by a 425 ozf*in NEMA 23 motor with planetary gear box to provide increased torque for flowing materials. The extruder is a solid steel ⅝” screw with 16:1 L/D ratio designed with our partners specifically for consistent throughput for thermoplastics. Three independently controllable heaters are mounted on the extruder barrel allowing for extrusion temperatures up to 270°C. Interchangeable nozzles between 0.4mm and 2.85mm in diameter can be used to control resolution and extrusion width.

GigabotX 2 is the culmination of our mission to enable more users to 3D print directly from novel and waste plastics, but we’re not stopping here. Research is currently underway to integrate a granulator, dryer and automatic feeding system with GigabotX 2 to make machine operation even more efficient and user friendly and enable anyone anywhere any time to be the problem solvers for their community.

GigabotX 2 Hopper Gantry
GigabotX 2 Hopper Gantry
GigabotX 2 Extruder and Cover
GigabotX 2 Extruder and Cover

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

Gigabot Engineering Updates – April 2022

Hi Gigabot family! It’s been a few months since we posted an engineering update, but re:3D’s engineers have been far from idle. We’ve made some further improvements to the new Metal Body Extruders and created an entirely new hot end to keep pushing the Gigabot to produce better and better results and improve your user experience. See below for details on what has changed. Current Gigabot®, Gigabot® X, Exabot® and Terabot® owners can order these as replacement parts that are upgradable from previous versions.

New Parts

Gigabot® 3+, Terabot®, Exabot®

  • 20 Series Hot Ends – Replacing the Mondo Hot End, the re:3D 20 Series Hot End was created by our engineers and machinists to increase the max flow rate of polymer deposition. With a greater flow rate, parts can print faster, reducing production time and cost. The 20 Series Hot End achieves this with a 20mm long heater block wrapped in Nomex® insulation. It comes standard with an A2 hardened steel nozzle for printing with abrasive materials like carbon-filled polymers. You can select either 0.4mm or 0.8mm nozzle size for your application.
  • 20 Series Fan Mounts – Fan mounts specific for the new 20 Series Hot End, these direct airflow to your prints for cooling.
  • Terabot only: Bed Frame Stands – an accessory for Terabot to aid in resetting the bed leveling.
20 Series Hot End for 0.8mm Nozzles and Terabot 4
20 Series Hot End for 0.8mm Nozzles and Terabot 4
20 Series Fan Mount
20 Series Fan Mount
Terabot Bed Frame Stand
Terabot Bed Frame Stand

Fit and Strength Part Adjustments

The below parts have had geometry changes or other additions to make them stronger or fit more precisely.

Gigabot® 3+, Terabot®, Exabot®

  • Metal Body Extruders- transitioned the new Metal Body Extruders from an aluminum frame and plastic inset to a complete aluminum piece. 
  • Light Strip Cover – redesigned to fit new LED light strip with on/off switch 

Gigabot® X

  • Gigabot X Extruder Cover – fit and tolerance adjustments. more secure mounting
  • Motor Spacer – added wire management clips for all connections to the extruder
  • End Rail Caps – covering the ends of the aluminum extrusion on the X cross rail.
GB4 Metal Body Extruder
GB4 Metal Body Extruder
a long skinny black cover for a led light strip
LED Light Cover
GBX Motor Spacer
GBX Motor Spacer
GBX Extruder Covers
GBX Extruder Covers

Firmware

Gigabot® X 4.2.4.2 Reg

This release is GBX 4.2.4 with some bug fixes discovered after the release of GBX 4.2.4. The fixes are:

  • Updating the GBX Regular build volume in the X, Y, and Z dimensions
  • Updating the GBX XLT build volume in the X, Y, and Z dimensions
  • Adjusting the minimum temperature for the heat sink fan from 18C to 60C

Check out additional update on our Forum. Want to chat with an engineer to share feedback on your Gigabot & re:3D design priorities? Email info@re3d.org.

Happy Printing!

~Your Gigabot Engineering Team

Gigabot Engineering Updates – September 2021

An aluminum dual extrusion extruder for a 3d printer

re:3D engineers have spent the last few months making some exciting changes to our product lines. re:3D 3D printers are shipping with some great new enhancements. Current Gigabot®, Gigabot® X, Exabot® and Terabot® owners can order these as replacement parts that are upgradable from previous versions.

New Parts

Gigabot® 3+, Terabot®, Exabot®

  • Metal Body Extruder – 2 pieces, left and right. The metal body extruder replaces the unibody extruder on re:3D filament-based, dual extrusion 3d printers. High-strength aluminum housing and tensioner arm for a long-lasting, industrial extruder.
  • Terabot Magnetic Catch – Magnetic latch for Terabot enclosure doors
a 3d printer extruder made from polycarbonate
Former Unibody Extruder
a etal dual extrusion extruder for a 3d printer
New Metal Body Extruder
A magnetic latch
New Terabot Magnetic Catch

Fit and Strength Part Adjustments

The below parts have had geometry changes or other additions to make them stronger or fit more precisely.

Gigabot® 3+, Terabot®, Exabot®

  • Filament Detection Covers – Improved fit for easier removal
  • LED Light Cover – Redesigned to fit new led strip, plus improved durability when used in enclosures 
  • GB3+ X Axis Cable Carrier Support – Strengthened for greater durability
  • GB3+ XY Upright – Revised to fit larger wiring, better print quality and durability of interface with cable carrier
  • Mondo Hot End Fan Mounts (Left & Right) – Revised fan placement for better part cooling
a long skinny black cover for a led light strip
LED Light Cover
A C shaped support
GB3+ X Carrier Support
The Top Portion of the XY Upright
GB3+ XY Upright top detail view
A plastic mount for holding two cooling fans
Mondo Hot End Fan Mount

Check out additional update on our Forum. Want to chat with an engineer to share feedback on your Gigabot & re:3D design priorities? Email info@re3d.org.

Happy Printing!

~Your Gigabot Engineering Team

Gigabot Engineering Updates – February 2021

CoverQ1

2021 is going to be an exciting year for re:3D, and we have multiple product releases in the works for you. First, however, we want to update you on upgrades to our current offerings as well as highlight some new products now available from re:3D. As of January 1, 2021, re:3D 3D printers will ship with some great new enhancements. Current Gigabot®, Gigabot® X, and Terabot®, owners can order these as replacement parts that are upgradable from previous versions.

New Products

Exabot®, with an enormous build volume of 30in x 30in x 72in is now available for purchase.

Exabot-GB-scale

Support Removal Tool Kit - Get the Tools the Pros Use

an array of tools including gloves, mallet, scraper, and cutters used to remove support material from 3D prints.

New Parts

Gigabot® X

  • Extruder Cover – covers and protects extruder area of GBX
  • Hopper Gantry – puts the hopper on a mobile gantry system which improves pellet flow 
  • For additional details on GBX Updates, see our Forum Post
the hopper gantry and extruder cover. New parts for Gigabot X
GigabotX 2 Hopper Gantry without Bellows

Fit and Strength Part Adjustments

The below parts have had geometry changes or other additions to make them stronger or fit more precisely.

Gigabot® X

  • [11384] Thrust Bearing Plate – Improved fit with extruder body 
  • Extruder Body – Improved material feeding
  • Feed Throat – Improved material feeding
  • Feed Tube – Revised for compatibility with new gantry
  • Hopper – Revised for compatibility with new gantry
  • Motor Spacer – Revised for compatibility with new extruder cover
Gigabot X Feed Throat
Gigabot X Feed Throat
Gigabot X Thrust Bearing Plate
Gigabot X Thrust Bearing Plate

Terabot®

  • Viki Enclosure – Improved wire routing to electrical box

Firmware

Gigabot® X

  • Adjusted Change Pellet Routine extrusion speed and resolved bug
  • Fixed build chamber dimensions for XL and XLT sizes
  • Updated preheat temperature options
  • Added capability for ditto printing with a motorized auger as a second extruder
  • Firmware installation instructions are available in our Knowledge Base

Check out additional update on our Forum. Want to chat with an engineer to share feedback on your Gigabot & re:3D design priorities? Email info@re3d.org.

Happy Printing!

~Your Gigabot Engineering Team

ISS Mimic: a Link to the International Space Station here on Earth

When computer programmer Dallas Kidd was growing up, she wanted to be an astronomer.

“But I realized as a kid,” she said, “that I didn’t know what that meant, because I didn’t know any astronomers. So I decided I couldn’t do that.”

In high school computer programming classes, when other students were creating financial programs for banks, she again felt discouraged. She thought, “I didn’t know how to do that, so I guess I can’t have a career in this.” It took a long, circuitous journey to get where she is now. “I spent years figuring out what I wanted to do, and if someone had just been there to say, ‘Hey! I’m an astronomer,’ or ‘Hey, I’m a computer programmer. You can do this and here’s how!’ to make it real. I would have done this forever ago.”

Now an engineer at Skylark Wireless, LLC, Kidd is committed to offering those opportunities to students. Recently, she joined a special project that offers eager young learners hands-on experience in applied computer science, electrical engineering, 3d printing and mechatronics and encourages them to focus on space innovation: the ISS Mimic.

Five years ago, on the 15th anniversary of continuous human presence on the International Space Station (ISS), Boeing engineer Bryan Murphy proposed a STEM outreach project to his colleagues who work on the real space station. The idea: to create a 1% scale model of the ISS, complete with moving parts, that mimics in real-time the telemetry data of the space station that circles the earth every 90 minutes.

A poster with the title "ISS Mimic Physical Model Replicating ISS Real Time." A flowchart is labeled "Actual ISS," arrow "Live ISS data pulled from web," arrow "Cheap embedded processing & I/O," arrow "Interactive display," arrow "articulating model of ISS," arrow "Elements illustrate when crew wakes, sleep, perform tasks," arrow "Projection of earth behind model," arrow "Motors rotate 12 joints to match real-time ISS."
A poster created by Bryan Murphy explaining the ISS Mimic project.

Murphy wasn’t the only one in the group who had discovered that NASA was constantly broadcasting live, publicly available data from ISS back to earth via ISS Live. The vast collection of data, including details on battery levels, solar array rotations, air lock pressure, and much more was available for anyone to use. Murphy and his teammates figured: why not bring the station down to earth in a desk-sized model that anyone could interact with? They decided to go for it.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the ISS. For over two decades, Boeing’s ISS team has provided round-the-clock operational support, ensuring that the full value of the world’s most unique and capable research laboratory is available to NASA, its international partners, other U.S. government agencies and private companies. So, for three and a half years following the conception of the ISS Mimic, the off-hours project progressed slowly alongside the engineers’ work supporting the space station and the mind-blowing scientific achievements emerging onboard. The primary project goals were keeping cost and complexity down to be educator friendly while maintaining the essence of ISS.

"...that was the major obstacle that inspired us to either give up the project or fight with everything, with all of our arsenal, to get it refunded."
Sam Treadgold

ISS Mimic steadily took shape, but it wasn’t until February of 2019 before they felt it was ready for public demonstration. They took ISS Mimic to a local high school to show students the moving model. But something was wrong. The live data stream – that important information ISS Mimic relied on to represent its big sister in the sky – had disappeared. “Everything worked until we got there[to the school], and we were like, ‘what’s going on?,’” recalled Craig Stanton, Murphy’s fellow Boeing engineer and ISS Mimic teammate. Without the data, they couldn’t demonstrate the live syncing, but could still show off the mechanics, control screen, LEDs, and 3D printed parts, so in true fail-forward fashion, they pressed on.

The interest from teachers and students was palpable. Though they’d done some small in-house show-and-tells, “it was the first time for us to take it anywhere,” shared Murphy. “For me, it was very motivational to finally be out there.” The team knew they wanted to move forward and get ISS Mimic in the hands of more teachers and students, but what had happened to the data from ISS Live?

ISS Mimic, a 100th scale model of ISS, sits on a table. You can see 3d printed tubes, wires connecting to motors and large, foil covered solar arrays.
The ISS Mimic model includes 3D printed modules and motorized solar arrays. Not pictured is the Raspberry Pi interactive display screen. Photo curtesy of Bryan Murphy.

The team went searching for answers, and the news was not good. Sam Treadgold of Boeing’s ISS team phrased it succinctly, “ISS Live got defunded – the public NASA telemetry suddenly shut down, and that was the major obstacle that inspired us to either give up the project or fight with everything, with all of our arsenal, to get it refunded.”

They thought the project was toast. It would have taken a major decision from NASA leadership to reverse the funding decision, but the tenacious team wasn’t ready to give up. They contacted everyone they knew who had vested interest in the STEM engagement and outreach benefits of the now defunct program. After a string of touches with decision makers, a fateful meeting with William Harris, the CEO of Space Center Houston, the public visitor center next to NASA-Johnson Space Center, brought forth Harris’ support, and the collective efforts were enough to get the funding restored. The data stream turned back on.

ISS Mimic uses real-time data from the International Space Station to control its movements. Photo by Estefannie https://www.youtube.com/user/estefanniegg

“Once we passed that hurdle, it was like the floodgates opened. Let’s go. Let’s do it!” shared Susan Freeman, who also supports Boeing’s space station program. ISS’s 20th anniversary was approaching, and NASA was interested in promoting the project to encourage public interest in ISS. The ISS Mimic itself was in a development state that it could visualize interesting changes on ISS in real time. “One of the data values is the pressure in the U.S. airlock. We monitor that data so our program can recognize when a spacewalk is happening,” said Treadgold, “ Last year, when a hole formed in one of the Russian vehicles, the pressure in the whole ISS started dropping, and our lights started flashing [on ISS Mimic]. There wasn’t a spacewalk going on, and we were aware of the leak.”

“That’s not usually publicly known when that’s happening. It’s usually announced a few days later when NASA makes the public report,” shared Stanton, “but this way, you’re looking at the live data stream, and all of a sudden, you’re just as in the know as the people in the operations room. How cool is that for people and kids at home!”

re:3D donated highly detailed 3D prints of the ISS Mimic solar arrays for the project. The solar arrays are printed with PLA on Gigabot using a 0.25mm nozzle.

And it was becoming more than just an outreach project, they were discovering that this scale model was helping them understand the work they were doing on the real space station with more insight and more collaborative understanding of the challenges and quirks of the flying football-field sized spacecraft. “ISS is massive,” said Freeman, “I know only these tiny little pieces. That in itself is a humbling thing, to realize and accept that I’m not expected to know all of this vehicle. There is so much work done on ISS, and a lot of time you’re so focused on your little, tiny detail, that you don’t necessarily know what else is going on around you.”

Boeing’s Chen Deng, whose day job focuses on supporting the experiments on ISS, explained looking at ISS Mimic helped cut through misunderstanding about thermal needs of payloads. “By looking at [ISS Mimic], we realized it was at an angle where the payload was not getting any of the sunlight needed to keep its warmth or input from the station itself, and that really helped.”

Six people, four men and two women stand in front of a display of the earth with the ISS floating above their heads. All of them are wearing tshirts that read "ISS20"
Some of the ISS Mimic team posing inside of Space Center Houston. From left: Doug Kimble, Craig Stanton, Bryan Murphy, Sam Treadgold, Susan Freeman, Chen Deng. Photo by Estefannie https://www.youtube.com/user/estefanniegg

The ISS Mimic team is in the process of building a second model for Boeing’s internal team in charge of “pointing” the solar arrays. The ISS Mimic can rotate its solar arrays 60 time faster than the actual space station, allowing the engineers to test and visualize their code before using it on the real thing. ISS Mimic can also “replay” previously collected data engineers use to assess and understand anomalies. “This is better than numbers on a screen or even CAD animations,” reflected Treadgold. “You see this and know exactly what’s happening.”

But beyond the functional model, of which they’ve replicated 80-90% of ISS, the team wants to use ISS Mimic to make the interface intuitive, easy to understand and exciting to build for students. To make it so easy to pick up that it’s like a LEGO build, and so inviting that it draws people in to an interest in science or space. “The hardest part to get right is STEM outreach,“ shared Doug Kimble of Boeing’s ISS team. “We need to get more students involved and excited about ISS. We need future astronauts; we need future female astronauts. We need more kids excited about STEM, and science and math, and this is one of the ways we can do it.” Showing students that the robots they’re crashing into each other in competitions use the same encoders, the same programming, the same motor drivers that are on the ISS Mimic makes it accessible and reinforces for students their own capabilities.

“We want these ISS Mimic models everywhere, in every airport, in every museum, in every school. Big dream,” declares Freeman.

“So people can see that they’re capable of this,” explains Murphy, “and have a real chance to play in this domain. It’s a means to let every disadvantaged kid know they can do this stuff, tinker in this field and see if they may want to turn this into more than a hobby one day.” It circles back to Kidd’s experience with a lack of role models. If the team can introduce the ISS Mimic to a student who hadn’t been exposed to the space program before, they might spark an interest the student didn’t even know was there. It might just set them on a path to a career which, for the members of the ISS Mimic team, is challenging, thrilling, and celebrates humanity’s greatest collaboration.

The ISS Mimic team includes:
Chen Deng
Susan Freeman
Dallas Kidd
Doug Kimble
Bryan Murphy
Craig Stanton
Sam Treadgold

Want to volunteer? ISS Mimic is looking for programmers, 3D modelers & educators to join the team! Reach out to them at:
email: iss.mimic@gmail.com
fb: https://www.facebook.com/ISS.mimic/
ig: https://www.instagram.com/iss_mimic/
twitter: https://twitter.com/ISS_Mimic
discord: https://discord.gg/34ftfJe

re:3D offers 3D printed ISS Mimic parts available at shop.re3d.org

Charlotte craff

Blog Post Author

Gigabot Engineering Updates – October 2020

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, 2020, all new Gigabot® 3+, Terabot and Gigabot® X 3D printers ship with the below enhancements. Current Gigabot® owners can order these as replacement parts that are fully compatible with previous versions.

New 3D Printed Parts

All Models

  • [12007] Fan Filter Base, [12008] Fan Filter Attachment,  [12074] Filter – Prevents buildup of dust in electrical box 
Fan Filter Attachment
New Fan Filter Attachment
New Fan Filter Base
New Fan Filter Base
Fan Filter Installed on Electrical Box
Installed Fan Filter

Gigabot® X

  • [12077] GBX Feed Tube Mount – Reduces slack in feed tube for better feedstock flow
New Feed Tube Mount
New Feed Tube Mount
Installed Feed Tube Mount
Installed Feed Tube Mount

Fit and Strength Part Adjustments

The below parts have had geometry changes or other additions to make them stronger or fit more precisely.

Gigabot® X and Gigabot® 3+

  • [11158] Gigabox Magnet Bracket 4 – Revised for better fit with linear rails
  • [11352] GBX Motor Driver Enclosure & [11354] GBX Motor Driver Enclosure Lid – Revised fit for easier assembly
  • [11336] GBX Feed Throat & [11986] GBX feed Throat Stopper – Improved pellet flow
  • [11484] GBX Hopper & [11529] GBX Hopper Lid – Improved seal and durability
Revised Magnet Bracket 4 Render
Revised Magnet Bracket 4 Render
Revised Magnet Bracket 4 Printed
Revised Magnet Bracket 4 Printed
Old Motor Driver Enclosure
Old Motor Driver Enclosure
New Motor Driver Enclosure
New Motor Driver Enclosure
Feed Throat and Stopper
Revised GBX Feed Throat and Stopper
Revised GBX Hopper & Lid
Revised GBX Hopper & Lid

Check out additional update on our Forum. Want to chat with an engineer to share feedback on your Gigabot & re:3D design priorities? Email info@re3d.org.

Happy Printing!

~Your Gigabot Engineering Team

Gigabot Engineering Updates – July 2020

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 July 1, 2020, all new Gigabot® 3+, Terabot and Gigabot® X 3D printers ship with the below enhancements. Current Gigabot® owners can order these as replacement parts that are fully compatible with previous versions.

New 3D Printed Parts (Polycarbonate unless otherwise indicated)

Gigabot® X

  • [11925] GBX Hopper Hose Clip: To make changing out feedstock less messy.
  • [11948] GBX Motor Coupler Insert (Taulman Nylon 910): more durable than the previous iteration.
GBX Hopper Hose Clip
GBX Hopper Hose Clip
GBX Motor Coupler Insert
GBX Motor Coupler Insert

Terabot

  • [11914], [11915] Terabot Light Rail End Cap: angled cap for positioning the LED light correctly.
  • Viki Enclosure: Terabot specific VIKI enclosure which takes its size into account.
Terabot Light Rail Endcap
Terabot Light Rail Endcap
Terabot Light Rail Endcap (Alt. View)
Terabot Light Rail Endcap (Alt. View)

New Metal Parts

Gigabot® X

  • [11955] GBX Radial Bearing (updated): more durable than previous version

Gigabot® 3+

  • [11953], [11954] GB3+ Hot End 0.25mm nozzle (Optional Part): for those who want finer details while printing big.

Fit and Strength Part Adjustments:

The below parts have had geometry changes or other additions to make them stronger or fit more precisely.

Gigabot® X

  • [11339] GBX Y Slide Bracket
  • [11344], [11342] GBX Belt Mounts
  • [11338] GBX Motor Spacer
  • [11952] GBX Enclosure Bottom Panel
Former GBX Belt Mount
Former GBX Belt Mount
New GBX Belt Mount
New GBX Belt Mount
Former GBX Motor Spacer
Former GBX Motor Spacer
New GBX Motor Spacer
New GBX Motor Spacer

Gigabot® 3+

  • [10880] Viki Mount
  • [Various] Z-axis Threaded Rods now coated for improved corrosion resistance
  • [10257] X Motor Mount
  • [11081], [11136] Left and Right GB3+ Extruder Tensioner
  • [11518] GB3+ Unibody Extruder
  • [10113] GB3+ Dual Extruder Cover
Former GB3+ Motor Mount
Former GB3+ Motor Mount
New GB3+ Motor Mount
New GB3+ Motor Mount
New Extruder Tensioner
New Extruder Tensioner
New Vicki Mount
New Vicki Mount

Terabot

  • [11662] Terabot Y Axis Belt Mount
  • [11658] Terabot Y Slide Bracket
  • [11697], [11690] X and Y Motor Mounts
  • [11664] Y Limit Switch Mount
  • [11736] 40×40 Rail End Cap
  • Bed Leveling Knobs Removed and Replaced With Bolts
  • [11504] Full Enclosure
New TB X Motor Mount
New TB X Motor Mount
New TB Y Motor Mount
New TB Y Motor Mount
New TB 40X40 Rail End Cap
New TB 40X40 Rail End Cap
New TB Y Slide Bracket
New TB Y Slide Bracket

Electrical Updates

  • Improved Viki grounding for all units
  • Electrical Box layout redesigned for Gigabot® 3+

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.

AlessandraNotes
AndrewZipTie
BrianNotes
VicenteTweet

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.

Revisions
CAD
RevRing

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 Respons: 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.

Door Pull 4
Door Pull 3
Door Pull 1
Door Pull 2

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.

Door Pull Dimensions
Door Pull Prints
IMG_4453(edited)
Door Pull in Use

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://3d.nih.gov/entries/3DPX-013825 and here: https://3d.nih.gov/entries/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
 
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


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

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