17. Applications and Implications¶
Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered,
answering:
What will it do?
Who's done what beforehand?
What will you design?
What materials and components will be used?
Where will come from?
How much will they cost?
What parts and systems will be made?
What processes will be used?
What questions need to be answered?
How will it be evaluated?
What will it do?¶
I will build an easy to transport and use silkscreen printing - press printing all in one machine. The goal is to have the printing process automated and easy to use with different kinds of input materials (such as linoleum, bioplastic, …) as well as outputs (DIY bio or conductive ink, DIY paper, …). The silkscreen machine will go on top of the bottom press printer in order to have a sturdy base as well as save space.
More on the idea on the final project page
Who’s done what beforehand?¶
There are a lot of easy to use silkscreen kits, but most of them aren’t easy to use in the sense of getting your print in the same place each time as the siff is not attached to a machine.
Examples:
An easy to use automated press machine has not yet been made as far as I could find.
What will you design?¶
I will:
- Design the press machine and its components
- Design the silk printing machine and its components
- Design the electronics
- Design a bioplastic that can be used for printing
- Design something to use as a testprint
The goal is to design this machine together with Kurt Van Houtte. Kurt will focus on the portable pucks that are being used to inform people when their print has dried. Both systems can be used separately but are designed to be used together.
What components and materials will be used?¶
I will try to use recyclable parts from old builds as well as design new parts as easy to 3D-print parts that you can make in a fablab in PLA. The prototype will be made in poplar plywood, 6mm which is widely available.
The goal is to mill the final machine in trespa as it’s much more easy to keep clean. At the moment however the prototype is laser cut into poplar triplex.
For the electronics I will remake an arduino that will use the same ATMEGA328 chip and a lot of headers.
How much will they cost?¶
As less as possible, but some parts will cost something.
At the moment the most expensive part is the rubber roll I need in the press printer to roll over the paper. It costs about 25 euro.
The prototype machine will be cut with the laser in poplar plywood. It costs about 22 euro for a 2440 x 1220 mm piece. I only need one and they cut it into laser cuttable pieces in the shop.
Screws etc will all be recycled from older builds.
I will make an overview for the final project page.
What parts and systems will be made?¶
I will make:
- the casing
- the parts that need to be 3D-printed to attache the motors and rubber roll
- the test stamps
- the electronics
- some bioplastic to make stamps
What processes will be used?¶
In order to design and make the machine, I need the following processes:
- 2D-design for the casing
- 3D-design for the 3D-printed parts
- electronic design
- electronic production
- embedded programming
- mechanical design/machine design
- input and output devices
What questions need to be answered?¶
- How will I attach the rubber roll to the frame?
- How will I make sure the electronics don’t get dirty?
- How will I design the buttons?
- How will I power the device?
- How will I make everything from electronics fit the 85 x 55 mm FR1 copper plates I have for the iModela?
How will it be evaluated?¶
For the device prototype I expect the following things:
- the Pink-to-matic has a play button that allows you to start the sequence for press printing
- the Pink-to-matic should be able to run back and forth smoothly over a test stamp
- the Pink-to-matic should have protected electronics as they don’t like to get inky 🙂
- the Pink-to-matic should fit on a cupboard in a small home maker space as my own