An easy to assemble, functional yet aesthetic, cost-effective delta 3D printer for 3D printer fans!
Update: We reached our stretch goal! Please check our updates tab for more information.
We are Blue Eagle Labs and we are HUGE fans of 3D printers. For the past 6 months, we have been working on our rendition of the delta printer, the Kossel Clear. The Kossel Clear will be a popular, viable, and mainstream delta printer alternative for 3D printer fans. We have designed our printer with the first-time builder in mind. Blue Eagle Labs will be there to support you as you begin your 3D printer journey!
The Kossel Clear offers the following main advantages:
- Complete Build Documentation: For the 1st time builder, making your own delta 3D printer might seem to be a daunting task due to the vast amount of information that needs to be gathered. For the Kossel Clear, we have corralled and condensed the entire build instruction in easy to understand and easy to follow instructional HD videos which will be posted on our website and Youtube channel as soon as we get funded. We will also include standard build photo documentation in each Kossel Clear unit.
- Simplified Build: We've taken steps to ensure an easy, sensible, and systematic build. All acrylic parts are numbered from bottom to top, and are easily referenced in the instructional videos. No ruler or measuring tape will be needed, no parts need to be hand cut. As long as all the parts lay flush on each other, the build will be precise. Furthermore, we've tested our printer's build process with a group of first time 3D printer builders. We used their feedback to make the Kossel Clear as easy to build as possible.
- Affordable: Cost is a huge factor. We believe that to make delta 3D printers more popular, it needs to be affordable as well. To keep costs low, we:
1. Use as many readily-available, off-the-shelf parts as possible.
2. Manufacture as many in-house parts as possible – we have a small manufacturing setup that consists of CNC mill, CNC lathe, CNC router, laser engraver/cutter, and an injection molding machine for the purpose of domestic manufacturing and R&D.
3. Source electronics and other specialized parts directly from the factory – Cut the middleman! Let’s go directly to the factories! – This is where you come in. We need your help, Kickstarter, to garner maximum benefit from volume discounts.
About the Kossel Clear
Our Kossel Clear is a delta type 3D printer that uses 3 stepper motors to control the kinematically linked effector for movement in the x,y,z axis. Deltas are known for faster and smoother movement over large print volumes. The heat bed is fixed, minimizing the printer's footprint, while allowing tall print jobs.
Design Highlights
Auto Calibration: Thanks to Johann Rocholl's auto calibration routine, builders will now have a lot less on their minds. The auto calibration routine can be set to calibrate before any print job is started. This function will allow you to take the printer with you to your next build session, across town or to a DIY meetup, and still know that it will print flatly on the bed every time!
Acrylic Parts: Acrylic offers the best combination of aesthetics, 'manufacturability', and cost. It is the perfect material for our expected demand. Unlike wood, acrylic is less prone to thermal expansion, impervious to water vapor (which causes wood to expand/distort), is 16 times stronger than glass, has a very elegant finish, and is affordable. We have numbered all these parts for ease of assembly.
- Acrylic Rods/Arms: Measure twice, cut once? How about neither! We do not want builders to have to manually cut the lengths of arms/rods that hold the effector. Many things can go wrong – arms cut to different lengths; arms bent or forced to fit, etc. Who knows what builders would/could do? By introducing a pre-cut, fixed-hole design, builders would just have to screw and tighten.
- Aluminum Rods/Arms: We are also offering an aluminum version of the rods and arms. Same dimensions, more rigid, more awesome!
- Acrylic Sliders: We are very proud of this acrylic slider design. Our objective here was to use the acrylic itself as a spring to keep the v-groove rollers pinching the extrusions. The ball joints directly mount on to the acrylic, and we integrated the calibration adjustment screw into the slider itself.
Aluminum Extrusions: We love these aluminum extrusions. We had contemplated designing an all acrylic build, but decided that aluminum horizontal extrusions, while more costly, would provide the user with maximum benefit. It makes the overall structure more durable, and it increases the printer’s overall appeal. Adding an extra fan or mounting an LCD upgrade is very easy – no need to drill holes! These extrusions will allow you to slide standard M3 nuts, which would come in very handy when adding physical attachments to your printer, such as extra lights, fans, etc. We will pre-tap all vertical extrusions for your convenience.
Extruder: The bowden design extruder allows the effector to be lighter, reducing the load on the steppers.
GT2 Timing Belts and Pulleys: We initially used fishing lines in earlier prototypes of the Kossel Clear, but decided that GT2 timing belts, although more costly, would be much easier to install. Screw in the pulley, tighten the belts, and you’re all set! These belts give your printer a more professional look – no tangles, no knots!
Electronics: We have decided to use the popular RAMPS printer shield and an Arduino Mega 2560 as the brains of our printer. The PLA only printer will be powered by a 12v 5amp AC adapter, while the ABS upgrade will have a power supply capable of 12 volts, 360 watt with a 110/220 volt input selector. The stepper motors are beefy Kysan nema 17s rated at 5.5 Kg/cm. The LCD screen upgrade will be plug and play.
Comparatives
Table 1:
Samples
Right: Nautilus Gears - white PLA
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