Zatsit printer
-
Just though I would mention the Zatsit mechanical design for a delta printer. It has been discussed at length on the delta google groups but not on this forum. I think its a very cool use of the hylite material to form hinges by CNC:
http://www.zatsit.fr/english-summary.html
-
It's a really neat delta design, entirely novel drivetrain using living hinges in lieu of ball joints or whatever. Lots of neat ideas aside from the hylite, too. I backed it.
-
yeah, its interesting to see how good his watercooling works for what is a pipe in a tube!
-
Very interesting design, I backed it.
-
En plus c'est français !
-
Please excuse the somewhat chauvinistic enthusiasm of my compatriot Frederic: it is not French "en plus", it is just French. The French are considered pretentious all over the world, so there's no need to add to that!
Joking aside, thanks to Tony for drawing attention to Zatsit, and thanks also, of course, to my distinguished backers!
In this forum, you are all supposed to already have a 3D printer with a Duet controller on it. So let me also talk about accessories, which can be adapted to all existing machines, especially deltas.
Thanks to the engraved Hylite technology, it is very easy to make gimballed supports for remote accessories (extruder, blower fan). This has significant consequences on print quality, as the effectors can be lighter, parasitic forces on them are reduced, and the length of the Bowden tube can be halved. These brackets attach to any 6mm T-slot, so they are universally applicable. Here is a video that explains it.
The gimballed support for a Flystruder based on Titan extruder, adapts to absolutely any delta machine, with even more obvious improvements: the Bowden tube is reduced to 17cm, while disturbing as little as possible the movements of the Hot-End. Here is the video.
Finally, one of Zatsit's major innovations is its Hot-End, so simple that you won't believe it! Here is the video.
I first wanted to obtain a larger exchange chamber with cooling water, with many unnecessary complications, before realizing that it worked strictly as well with a simple 4/6mm tube, pierced! Since I have been using a pre-hole formed with a very precise biopsy punch, the seal is extremely reliable. And in two years, the Hot End has never jammed, with any filament. Never! The only problem I had was stupidly pulling a very hot TPU filament by hand, which obviously immediately stuck to the cold zone.
Since I have to put some coal in the boiler, let me to provide the link toward Kickstarter (with many interesting info, anyway). Thanks for watching!
-
@zatsit said in Zatsit printer:
Please excuse the somewhat chauvinistic enthusiasm of my compatriot Frederic: it is not French "en plus", it is just French. The French are considered pretentious all over the world, so there's no need to add to that!
I'm not chauvinist at all (more often the exact contrary), but I'm very happy to see french people innovating and making great products in the 3D printing area
I first wanted to obtain a larger exchange chamber with cooling water, with many unnecessary complications, before realizing that it worked strictly as well with a simple 4/6mm tube, pierced! Since I have been using a pre-hole formed with a very precise biopsy punch, the seal is extremely reliable.
That's very good to ear: this is the first reaction people had when I linked the project to the mailing list of our hackerspace... I ordered one, so I'll see ;o) Maybe the tube should be changed every n hours, before leak appear and ruin a 35h print? Any idea how long it can last?
Frédéric
-
@fma
Pardon Frédéric, c'était juste pour faire une blague en introduction ! Merci de votre soutien ! -
J'avais bien compris
I have a question about the PTFE tube between the heater and the silicone tube: does it limit the maximum temperature? AFAIK, PTFE can't handle more than 240°C (and releases toxic fumes)... Could it be replaced by something else? Does it have to be an insulator? PEEK could be an alternative, but expensive.
Frédéric
-
@fma
The joint between the stainless steel tube and the flexible hose is reliable and stable, and can be forgotten indefinitely.Its only weakness concerns the possible strong mechanical stresses while it is hot.
The flexible hose is cooled by the water flowing through it, but there is a thermal gradient in its thickness, and some of the material is softened. If you pull it hard while it is hot, you can create a leak. I realized this because I keep fiddling with my prototypes, but there's no reason for a normal user not to force the water tube while the machine is running!
And in any case, repair, if necessary, would be child's play!
Creator of Zatsit, the delta printer with none assembly
-
@fma
PTFE does not decompose in a toxic way until 400°C. From 250°C, its mechanical characteristics deteriorate. It flows, in particular.In our case, this small tube does not support any mechanical effort, it is simply there as a stop during installation, and therefore, PTFE does the job very well.
Creator of Zatsit, the delta printer with none assembly
-
@zatsit I have a couple of questions but don't answer them if you don't want to.
Firstly, I assume that the stainless steel tube with the M6 nut is made of two parts. The tube being one part and the hollow not being the other? If that is the case, how is the tube fixed to the nut? Is it glued, braised or simply a press fit?
Secondly, what do you use to cut that thin wall stainless tube? I'm assuming that you buy it in longer lengths then cut it to the required length, or do you buy it already cut to length?
Thanks
-
@zatsit said in Zatsit printer:
@fma
PTFE does not decompose in a toxic way until 400°C. From 250°C, its mechanical characteristics deteriorate. It flows, in particular.Mmm, that's not what Wikipedia says: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytétrafluoroéthylène#Toxicité
Frédéric
-
@deckingman
It's a very relevant question, and I spent a lot of time on it!I first soldered the two parts with silver, but this inevitably leads to a change in the internal surface condition of the tube which loses its polished finish even in the transition zone, and in fact, I noticed a less regular operation with the PLA, for the Hot-Ends so made. I use a medical tube, which is very finely electro-polished inside, probably for aseptic reasons. I think that the spectacular resistance to jamming, which I have seen, even with PLA, is largely due to this excellent surface condition in the transition zone.
So I understood that I had to preserve this polishing, and use a cold assembly, with a press-fit.
Pressing too hard necessarily reduces the diameter of the stainless steel tube, which is not in the right direction. I came to a compromise, with a tube tightened just enough to ensure that there would be no leakage in any circumstance, and a needle punch on the tube's face to prevent it from being driven away by extreme pressures.
These details are very important, and that is why, in my production plan, this part will be the only one I will personally produce, with my lathe adapted for this purpose, at a rate of 20 parts/hour...
Creator of Zatsit, the delta printer with none assembly
-
@fma
You're right : 350°C, not 400°C. It doesn't change my conclusion. -
Toxic products start to be emitted at 230°C; no deadly, but toxic.
-
@zatsit Thanks for that. As I thought, it's not a simple process. Would you open to the idea of just supplying this part? I don't have a delta so the complete kit is of no interest to me. I would be needing batches of at least 6 and possible 12 at a time.
Also, you didn't answer my second question which was how you cut the tube to length. If you don't want to answer that, I fully understand but if that is the case, could you supply shorted lengths of this tube?
-
@deckingman
Yes, all accessories, including this adapter for Hot-end watercooling, are available independently of the Zatsit kit, during the campaign on Kickstarter, and then on the online shop that will follow.Take a look at the Kickstarter page, it says it all!
To manufacture this adapter, I use a specially modified small lathe with a special saw to cut the tube straight, and without blurr.
-
@deckingman said in Zatsit printer:
could you supply shorted lengths of this tube
Probably.... What do you have in mind?
-
@zatsit said in Zatsit printer:
@deckingman said in Zatsit printer:
could you supply shorted lengths of this tube
Probably.... What do you have in mind?
I'd rather not say at this time. As this is getting way off topic, is it OK if I PM you?
