Dymaxion S RepRap 3D Printer

thingiverse

This is a design for a 3D printer that was being worked on several years ago. The idea behind this project was inspired by the work of Buckminster Fuller and makes use of a cuboctahedron as its main structural framework. The frame itself can be almost completely 3D printed, requiring only 8mm nuts and bolts to assemble the triangles. The printer's main purpose is to serve as an affordable plastic recycling filament extruder for home use. The idea is to make filament production so inexpensive that users can print complex structures like this cuboctahedron-based frame. However, much more needs to be done with the design, including adding belt reduction drives on the X and Y axes. One of the most interesting features of this 3D printer is its modular printing system. The frame's triangle pieces are too large to be printed in standard 3D printers, which is why there were plans for a separate "mother printer" specifically designed for this purpose. Unfortunately, that printer design isn't as far along. For now, the available files include one with the triangles divided into three sections, requiring super gluing together. There's also a file with some designs for the Z bearing system to minimize filament usage. Those ideas haven't been fully developed yet. As an incentive, I'm attaching Sketchup files here as well. While it's unusual for me to do this on Thingiverse, anyone who'd like to collaborate is welcome to pick up where I left off and make progress. After years of delay, I simply won't have time for this project in the near future. Note that I don't currently have drawings for mounts or brackets needed for the Y axis and bed rails, but these were planned using a similar mounting system as the Z bearing's top bracket. Those interested in learning more can watch videos from several years ago when I was discussing the design. Links to those videos are provided below: