5-axis 3D printer

Log #3 — Rails and Belts Everywhere!!

I started off by deleting all components, and used their body CAD instead of duplicating the components themselves. Also cleaned up my messy workspace folders and grounded a bunch of floating bodies so everything is actually locked in place properly!

New things added/done/researched:

• Linear Rails & Hardware: attached linear rails with their own slider joints onto the gantry and Z-axis assembly along with all the actual t-nuts and screws needed to mount the rails. I chose the the CoreXY mechanism for the motion system for my 3D printer as it is fast and more effective than other motion systems (cartesian or delta).

• Timing Pulleys: added GT2 timing pulleys (7mm) to all the stepper motors.

• Trunnion Mechanism: Researched into the two different mechanism needed for the tilting and rotating of the trunnion. In the end, I chose to just use belt drives for the rotating and tilting instead of gears as it’s way more cost-effective, and is shock absorbent, and requires less maintenance and care.

– How the Trunnion Works: The trunnion uses two separate stepper motors. One motor spins the circular print bed flat around 360 degrees, while the second motor tilts the entire frame body of the trunnion side-to-side. To keep the wires from twisting off or snagging while it tilts and spins, I’m using a slip ring to pass all the heated bed power and sensor wires cleanly through the pivot point.

• Miscellaneous Stuff:
  – added springs under the bed for manual bed leveling.
  – BOM: Found the actual print beds and pcb heat beds that match my custom dimensions, and took screenshots for future BOM listing.

Next Steps:
Finish the Cad for the trunnion and create the mechanism to make it rotate and tilt properly.

Log #2 — The “BeeHive”

Finally got the base frame and skirt fully CADded out!

I took some inspiration from the VORON2.4, mainly the layout since it’s a popular open-source 3D printer. The theme for the frame was to make it vibrant and feel like a real 3D printer and not a gimmick. I add a warm, honey color to contrast the matte black on the anodized aluminum.

Moreover, I decided on what stepper motors I’m using and placed them to their respective postives for the gantry, z-axis motion and the trunnion.

To add to the upcoming field of 5-axis 3D printers, my innovative idea is to, if possible, make the 3D printer double as a CNC mill later with toolhead swapping. I roughly think this would work as a CNC also utilizes 5-axis and could potentially work if I create a way to switch the toolhead so that it would be able to work as a spindle.

New things added/done/researched:

• Created the main frame from anodized aluminum extrusions (2020 v-slot profile — 4x 400mm, 4x 500m, 6x 440mm).
• Created the base/skirt for the 3D printer which will hold all the electronics and the stepper motors for the z-assembly. Will add holes for ventilation and air circulation later on.
• CoreXY Math: Researched and learned about how the CoreXY gantry works and the difference between CoreXY and other 3D printer mechanisms such as, Cartesian and Delta motion.
• The 5-Axis Plan: Started researching into the mechanism behind a rotating platform (turntable, or belt drive using timing pulleys) and created the initial bed size I want for the printer.
• Toolhead Swapping: Researched into designing a potential quick-swap mount so I can literally pull off the 3D printer hotend and snap in a mini CNC spindle or a laser down the road.

Next Steps:
Figuring out the exact linear rail placements and figuring out the BOM parts list so I can start ordering stuff.

3D modeling — rotating bed and frame

Before getting into the CAD and technical aspect of the project, I started by researching and getting a general overhead of how 5-axis 3D printers works and its internal mechanisms. Unlike an orthodox 3D printer, a 5-axis 3D printer utilizes two extra rotational axes that allow the print bed or print head to rotate and tilt. This helps remove the need for support as the printer can print from multiple directions.

There are two types of 5-axis printers:

1. Non-planar printing, which prints curved layers.

2. Multidirectional printing, which rotates the part and prints from different angles.

For my 5-axis printer, I’m choosing the multidirectional approach as it’s easier in terms of hardware, more stable, and less susceptible to noise and vibrations that would cause discrepancies. After completing my research, I began modeling the printer in Fusion 360. I created the aluminum extrusion frame, designed the base for the rotating print bed and imported a stepper motor model (NEMA 17) to begin planning the rotation mechanism for the print bed. These models will serve as the foundation for adding the bearings, shafts, and tilting mechanism in the next stage of the project.