Rapid prototyping printer replicates itself ad infinitum

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

Rapid prototyping printer replicates itself ad infinitum

June 4, 2008

A Univ. of Bath academic who oversees a global effort to develop an open-source machine that ‘prints' three-dimensional objects, is celebrating after the prototype machine succeeded in making a set of its own printed parts. The machine, named RepRap, will be exhibited publicly at the Cheltenham Science Festival (4-8 June 2008).

RepRap is short for replicating rapid-prototyper; it employs a technique called “additive fabrication”. The machine works a bit like a printer, but, rather than squirting ink onto paper, it puts down thin layers of molten plastic which solidify. These layers are built up to make useful 3-D objects.

RepRap has, so far, been capable of making everyday plastic goods such as door handles, sandals and coat hooks. Now, the machine has also succeeded in copying all its own 3-D-printed parts.

These parts have been printed and assembled by RepRap team member, Vik Olliver, in Auckland, New Zealand, into a new RepRap machine that can replicate the same set of parts for yet another RepRap machine and so on ad infinitum. While 3-D printers have been available commercially for about 25 years, RepRap is the first that can essentially print itself.

The RepRap research and development project was conceived, and is directed, by Adrian Bowyer, a senior lecturer in engineering in the Faculty of Engineering & Design at the Univ. of Bath, UK.

Bowyer says that: "These days, most people in the developed world run a professional-quality print works, photographic lab and CD-pressing plant in their own house, all courtesy of their home PC. Why shouldn't they also run their own desktop factory capable of making many of the things they presently buy in shops, too?

"The possibilities are endless. Now, people can make exactly what they want. If the design of an existing object does not quite suit their needs, they can easily redesign it on their PC and print that out, instead of making do with a mass-produced second-best design from the shops. They can also print out extra RepRap printers to give to their friends. Then those friends can make what they want too."

Recently, Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager at Google Inc, encourages people to: "Think of RepRap as a China on your desktop."

"RepRap is a different, revolutionary way of approaching invention. It could allow people to change the ergonomics of a design to their own specific needs,” says Sir James Dyson, chief executive of the Dyson Group.

Bowyer hopes people will come to the Cheltenham Science Festival and see both the 'parent' and the 'child' RepRap machines in action for the first time together.

"RepRap is the most enjoyable research project I've ever run," he says. "Without the many talented and selfless volunteers the RepRap project has all round the world, it would have never succeeded so quickly."

Complete plans for the prototype RepRap 3-D printer and detailed tutorials to aid motivated amateurs (and professionals) in assembling one are available, free-of-charge, at the RepRap website (details below). The materials, plus the minority of parts that the machine cannot print, cost about £300 (or about US$586). All those non-printed parts can be bought at hardware shops or from online stores.

SOURCE: Univ. of Bath
Pretty cool...