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20. Project development

What task has been completed, and what task remain?

Completed:

  • Develope a first version of a viscous extruding system.

  • Develope a workflow to make it work.

  • Test the system with diferent BioPlastic materials.

In Process:

Electronics: Eventhough it has an Input and Output, it doesn’t work perfectly, the following task are pending: - 24 V Filter: The machines power suply uses a 24V stepdown system; the board has to regulate the voltage to 12V and filter the noise this kind of power supply gives.

  • LCD Screen: It would be great to have a LCD screen to show the voltaje that the motor or airpump are receiving. This measurment is determines the material flow that the extruder receives, and is a hey parameter for a correct extrusion.

  • Flow measurment: measure the flow and implement a PID system that keeps it constant will decrease the changes due to the material viscocity.

  • Slicer profile: Finding a perfect Slicer profile that gives the optimal printing results.

What has worked? What hasn’t?

Worked:

  • Auger Extruder system.

  • Both AirFlush and Hero 6 tank systems.

  • WorkFlow, Prusa Slicer + Chilippepr

Hasn’t work:

  • Sensors that measure the material flow, I tried to measure it using ultrasonic transducer sensors but I coundn’t make it work. I leave this work for the future due to the Final Projects due date.

What questions that needs to be solved?

  • Wich materials can be used in the extruder?

  • Wich tank suites better for wich kind of materials?

  • Can I combine both tank systems to get a final version that gets the best of both them?

What will happen when?

The key date is 14 of June, my Final Projects presentation.

After that I am working on a workshop at Fab 15 to teach people that are interested in digital fabrication with Biomaterials how to build the whole system.

What have you learned?

Uff… Luckily if you got to read this, you have already passed for a lot thorugh Fab Acacemy and will understand that I can’t answer that question. I have learned some much things about Digital Fabrication, porotyping and evan myself that I haven’t already asimilate.

I hope that after the course finishes and could give an acurate and sumarize answer to this question, in this moment, the only thing I can say is that this last 20 weeks have been mindblowing.