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Used Robo 3D printers

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Jaeson Cardiff, Jul 20, 2014.

  1. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    I should start this post with an introduction. I am the project manager and CTO for a small environmental tech firm based out of Calgary Alberta Canada called CleanO2 CCT. We've been developing our technology over the last 7 years and have spent a considerable amount of money in R&D. Since we are privately funded, making every dollar count for an SME is incredibly important(as I'm certain the founders of Robo 3D will agree).

    I have been following various manufacturers of 3D printers for a number of years as the industry grows. I have been very skeptical of the viability of this technology until recently. I read the various endorsements provided within the CES community on the Robo 3D and thought, given the price point of your printer and our escalating manufacturing costs I could get my partners to agree to invest in a printer to help save us some serious coin. They were more skeptical than I was.

    After several meetings I was able to convince my colleagues to buy a printer. There was a catch. The alloted budget for the printer was less than the price of the R1. Time to get creative. I found a PLA beta model on eBay for $600 (including shipping). It arrived a little over a week ago.

    As with buying anything used, you may have to deal with a few problems. As with buying the first version of any electronic device you are likely going to deal with even more problems. Combine the two and well...... You get the picture.

    I have experienced a fairly sharp learning curve but all in all, the Robo 3D printer along with the incredible online support make this one of the best investments our firm has made (second only to our own technology ;) ).

    Thanks to Robo 3D.

    Sincerely

    Jaeson Cardiff
    CleanO2 CCT inc.
     
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  2. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    Hope it works out for you. I'm very curious how a 3D printer will help your company directive.
     
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  3. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    Thanks Mike. So far so good. What sparked this purchase was a quote we received from the manufacturing firm we've been using. We are in need of 20 small plastic nipples for our project. We were provided with a price of $1000. While I greatly appreciate the skill required by the machinist to produce these, we felt that an alternative needed to be sourced. Enter Robo 3D. Time is also an issue. We are due to test our full scale model at a local college (SAIT Polytechnic) by sometime this September.

    Plus, as we are developing "green" tech, using PLA is very attractive for our company's mission.
     
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    If they can make it work with the materials it is a huge win over having small (a really relative term in manufacturing) quantity parts injection molded. Been there, done that. Great quality, not so great price or lead times--and don't need to change anything once you start or woe unto you.
     
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  5. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    Agreed. It would make sense once we hit large production numbers but as we are constantly changing our end design it makes little sense to spend money on parts that will likely continue to be revised.


    CleanO2 Carbon Capture Tech
     
  6. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    I just assumed CO2 carbon capture would require elevated pressures, which 3d printing is probably not ideal for.
     
  7. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    Quite correct. Using 3D printed parts for a direct chemical interface with industrial processes would likely end up with someone (likely me) taking a trip to the hospital.

    We are using our printer to produce parts that do not require any structural properties. The nipples are meant to conduct fresh air into keep the electronics cool.

    CleanO2 Carbon Capture Tech
     
    #7 Jaeson Cardiff, Jul 21, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 21, 2014
  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    The nice thing is, the range of materials available is getting really broad (although high pressure components are still not feasible).

    So that will give you a lot of flexibility as things progress.
    Worst case--an upgraded hot end.
     
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  9. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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  10. tesseract

    tesseract Moderator
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    also the rapid 3d prototyping that is possible for checking design even without the pressures
     
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  11. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    [​IMG]

    Here are the $1000 nipples we requested from the manufacturing firm. Clearly using printing technology is a "no brainer".
     
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  12. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    are those two separate bodies?
     
  13. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    No. A small cylinder with a raised lip for a gasket. I'll print one off and post the results. I've been told (repeatedly) to be limited in what I can share as we are still dealing with CIPO and the U.S. Patent office. You'll have to pardon the vagueness Mike.

    CleanO2 Carbon Capture Tech
     
  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    That should be easy enough to print and (if even needed) you can go to a finer layer size.
     
  15. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    No worries, just curious :)
     
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  16. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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  17. Mike Kelly

    Mike Kelly Volunteer

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    Awesome. Not sure why I envisioned it to be so much smaller. That's the perfect application for 3D printing!
     
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  18. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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  19. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    You bet. Thanks. We are looking to see what other parts can be fabricated with the printer.

    CleanO2 Carbon Capture Tech
     
  20. Jaeson Cardiff

    Jaeson Cardiff Active Member

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    I've been looking through the various threads regarding tech issues and some level of frustration with the build. I find some of these comments rather peculiar.

    I used to work in the heating industry. Well I guess I still do. Some of the tools required to maintain a boiler, like a soldering torch as an example, can be readily bought at just about any hardware store. All you need to own one is enough money to pay for it. To use one effectively you need skill, otherwise you're burning your house down.

    The point I'm making is that like the soldering torch, you need to learn how to use a 3D printer, or any tool for that matter. Expecting to be able to master it's use "right out of the box" is foolish.

    I'd say that the printer our company bought is a perfect example of someone who purchased the unit under the assumption that you did not require skill to use it, eventually gave up and sold it on eBay.

    Be patient. Read the forums. Practice. Be prepared to get frustrated and keep trying.

    All else fails, grab a cold one.

    CleanO2 Carbon Capture Tech
     
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