Q3d
q3d is a 3D printer and a table lamp conceived and designed by Politronica.[1], a spin-off company of the Italian Institute of Technology and Flying Tiger Copenhagen[2].
q3d’s plastic components are entirely manufactured through 3D fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology by Politronica’s 3D Printing Network according to a production model which deploys the Zero Marginal Cost paradigm, theorized by Jeremy Rifkin and to the RepRap philosophy[3]
q3d is under a Creative Commons license. The 3D printable models of its bioplastic components are available for free download on the Thingiverse platform.
 | |
| Classification | Photo polymer deposistion 3D printer |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Politronica |
| Manufacturer | Politronica |
Search Q3d on Amazon.
Design[edit]
q3d’s style is inspired by the work of the American artist Alexander Calder[4], in particular from his work of an alphabet composed of shapes there were used to decipher its plastic components (q, x, y, z). q3d's design is inspired by the Luxo L-1 lamp, created by the Norwegian designer Jac Jacobsen in 1937 which later became the best-known architect lamp in the history of design and the mascot of the Pixar Animation Studios. The movement based on arms and springs designed by Jacobsen is actually a redefinition of the balancing system patented by George Carwardine in his Anglepoise lamp in 1934. The q3d’s arm balance is maintained in any position by some springs that operate according to the principle of the compensatory forces of the muscles of the human arm. Tha lamp is freely positioned so as to allow the light source to be oriented at will.
Capabilities[edit]
Mechanically, q3d is a composition between the Dobot printer[5], the Polar3D printer [6] and the Luxo L-1 lamp. The construction of the two-joint arm draws inspiration by th Dobot, but without the rotation of the base. The arm motors are not directly shafted on the segments but they act by tensioning wires. The antagonist movement is guaranteed by rubber bands that replace the springs of the Luxo. The rotation of the plate is similar to the Polar3D but without the translation that is accomplished by the arm. q3d is fully composed by plastic parts, polylactic acid (PLA) made from corn crops. The result is a printer with an arm with two rotational degrees of freedom that guarantee a movement along the printing plate and one off the plane, movements that are the result of a conversion from cartesian coordinates to polar coordinates. Finally, the printing plate accomplishes a circular rotation around the axis passing through its center, which guarantees the second movement along the plane. The electronic components are based on low-profile circuitry, very cheap but highly reliable, made by Arduino. The firmware is based on open source libraries, “intersecting” the Marlin “SCARA”[7] with the “R 360”[8]
Printable material[edit]
Like a FDM 3D printer there is a stepper motor that pushes the viscous material towards the nozzle, but there is no hot melt. The printer extrudes a polymer resin that hardens with visible white light. That's why when the machine does not print it can be used as a table lamp. The q3d resin is cross-linked by irradiation of cold white light of 3W LEDs. The q3d can print 110x110x120 mm sized objects.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Plastic Parts | 50 |
| Non Printed Parts (approx.) | 20 |
| Cost (USD) | $ 99 |
| Controller Electronics | Arduino Mega + Ramps 1.4 / MKS Mini 2.0 |
| Printing material | Arcylic photopolymer |
| Printing Size (mm) | 110 x 110 x 120 |
| Motors | 4 x NEMA-17 Stepper |
| Frame Material | PLA |
| Frame Manufacture | 3D FDM printer |
| Pro | Easy assembly |
| Con | Not suitable for professional use |
Main differences from FDM[edit]
The following is a list of the main differences compared to the FDM technique:
- The deposition technique, there is no hot melt since the polymer hardens with white light from a low power led source (3W)
- The photopolymer: an acrylic resin which has a viscosity similar to toothpaste
- Scara movement combined with a polar movement
- Fully 3D printed body
Electronics[edit]
Stepper Motors[edit]
The q3d uses, including the extruder, four NEMA-17 stepper motors. Two of these motors control the X and Z positions, one of them controls the rotating plate and the last controls the extrusion of the photopolymer. The stepper motors needs a minimum holding torque of 40Ncm (0.4Nm).
Controller Electronics[edit]
The q3d works using a MKS mini 2.0 or Arduino Mega[9]/RAMPS 1.4 equipped with four stepper drivers A4988.
Extruder[edit]
The extrusion system is composed by a 1 mm nozzle, a flexible tube in polypropylene connected with the resin tube, two 1.5W white led, a mechanism "gear wheel/worm gear" that squeezes the resin tube, designed to raise the torque of the stepper motor by a factor of 58.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Website[edit]
- q3d website www.q3d.it
Open source files[edit]
- Thingiverse [1]
Video[edit]
- q3d YouTube channel [2]
This article "Q3d" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Q3d. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
