Oct. 2, 2014 | By Alec
Anyone who's ever used 3D printing technology will know that many printers themselves could also benefit from a few updates or innovations to reach optimum capacity. So why not print yourself some?
That's what the Italian design team behind +LAB must have been thinking. For the Maker Faire Rome this coming weekend, they will unveil an experimental syringe extruder that can be printed on, and fitted to, just about every 3D extrusion printer. This wonderful add-on will allow you to print with even greater accuracy, and they have also uploaded it to Thingiverse, so everyone can print their own. You can find it here.
As they explained, this experimental syringe extruder is designed to hold 60ml of material and functions through the basic luer lock system. Named after its 19th century inventor, this refers to the basic syringe principle used in hospitals throughout the world. It also means that this syringe extruder can function in collaboration with lots of different nozzles functioning under the same principle.
However, as with so many 3D designs, it might need just a little bit of customization to fit your own 3D printer. The team from +LAB designed it for their own 3Drag K8200 3D printer, but they assure us that 'you can easily adapt it to other system by designing a customized mount for your machine.'
However, as the 3Drag 3D printer is a moving bed machine – meaning the extruder is still during the printing process – you will need to slow down all head movements (print speed, travel speed, etc) on printers that feature a movable extruder.
This necessary gear reduction for anyone using a 3Drag printer as well, is 5:1, 'which is enough for printing in clay, but not enough for more viscous materials'. The team behind +LAB advises users working with other machines to focus on a gear reduction ratio of 6:1 or even 7:1.
This wonderful little 3D printable design can be a very useful addition to the arsenal of just about every 3D printing enthusiast, and we advise all to check it out.
The only caveat is the very large body it is attached to, but everyone is invited to alter that if they want. However, they promise us that they will alter their design in the future to become more compact. 'For the main part [will be split] in 2 smaller parts will be provided in order to be printable with all most common FDM machines.'
+LAB is an innovative studio of Italian designers and 3D printing enthusiasts with links to the Politechnical University of Milan, that has an extensive Chemicals and Engineering department. The team works towards the very noble aim of diffusing '3D Printing culture from academies to society: we truly believe that this technology and its customizability features can have real influences in many aspects of our everyday life.'
This is reflected in their open-source approach to technology and 3D designs, such as this one. They also teach a variety of workshops where people can become familiar with the potential of 3D printing technology.
For more on +LAB, check out this video:
Posted in 3D Printer Accessories
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