This week’s selection is “Designing 3D Printers” by Neil Rosenberg.
Have you ever thought of building your own 3D printer? Perhaps some readers have done so, but I suspect the majority have not. Many will simply be interested in getting prints done, and be less concerned about the “how” of that process. However, a good chunk of you may have at one time contemplated building your own device, but perhaps were discouraged by the complexity.
This book is for you.
In this book Rosenberg takes you on a straightforward journey through the entire process of building an extrusion-based desktop 3D printer using commonly available parts. The book’s description says:
“With this book you will be empowered to design and build (or update) your own 3D printer. Covers essential topics including mechanical design, choosing the right components, customizing the firmware, fine-tuning your slicer and much more. Written in a clear and non-mathematical format, it will carry you through from start to finish.”
The sequence of presentation in the book echoes how this design should be approached, as you can see in this list of topics explored:
- Frame
- Motion Control
- Drive Systems
- Constrained Motion
- Hot End
- Extruders
- Print Bed
- Controllers
- Motors
- Input and Displays
- Power Supplies & Electrical
- Firmware
Rosenberg also discusses at length topics such as bed leveling methodologies, extra features such as filament-out detection, machine tuning and the tools one must use when building a 3D printer.
I have to say this book is quite comprehensive, as virtually every aspect one would encounter during a 3D printer design and build is discussed, sometimes extensively. Rosenberg even goes as far as to discuss the necessity for CAD skills. I particularly like how he explores specific troubleshooting areas that would most likely be encountered by machine designers.
I said that this book would be for those curious about building their own machine, and that’s true. But the book is also appropriate for those who are interested in tuning 3D printers. There’s nothing better than to deeply understand how all the parts are supposed to work together, and by reading through the sequence of design decisions one would certainly gain a great deal of knowledge on the topic.
After reading this book I suspect one could much more competently tune and maintain any extrusion 3D printer.
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Via Amazon
