3D Printers

As part of my own self-education on 3D printing I designed and built following two kinds of 3D printers (and since December 2020 three additional designs in draft-stage):

Ashtar K (Prusa i3)

Head: XZ, Bed: Y
Build Volume: 300-380 x 300 x 330 mm
Frame: 11x 500mm 2020 Alu Profiles

Ashtar C (Core XY)

Head: XY, Bed: Z
Build Volume: 380 x 400 x 330 mm
Frame: 17x 500mm 2020 Alu Profiles

I designed and built Ashtar K and Ashtar C using OpenSCAD in a strictly parametric manner and optimized it so I could use a single beam length to compose the 3d printers: 500mm 2020 aluminium profile.

Left-to-Right: Ashtar C (380x400x330), Ashtar K 2 (300x300x330), CTC DIY I3 Pro B (200x200x180), Ashtar K 1 (380x300x330)

Back in February 2018 I bought the CTC DIY I3 Pro B and began later to design Ashtar K, and printed the first parts with the CTC for the Ashtar K 1. A few weeks later Ashtar K 1 and CTC printed parts for the Ashtar K 2. In fall of 2018 I began to design Ashtar C, and printed parts with CTC and Ashtar K 1+2. In February 2019 Ashtar C 1 was functional and printing.

The principle to print parts with 3D printer for another 3D Printer is called RepRap: Replicating Rapid-prototyper.

Selection of parts for Ashtar K and Ashtar C (apprx. 100 parts designed, many are shared among both designs)

Drafts

In December 2020 I started with two three new designs:

Ashtar M (Prusa i3 MG)

Head: XYZ, Bed: static
Build Volume: ~380 x 400 x 360mm
Frame: 10x 500mm 2020 Alu Profiles
Draft

Ashtar D (Classic XY)

Head: XY, Bed: Z
Build Volume: ~360 x 380 x 380mm
Frame: 17x 500mm 2020 Alu Profiles
Draft

Ashtar B (Cantilever)

Head: XZ, Bed: Y
Build Volume: ~180 x 180 x 180mm
Frame: 6x ~320mm 2020 Alu Profiles
Draft

Transformations

As I work with 500mm T-slot and V-slot 2020 alu profiles I can easily transform between:

TypeBeamsT-SlotV-Slot 1)
Ashtar K (Prusa i3)11101
Ashtar C (Core-XY)17143
Ashtar M (Prusa i3 MG)1073
Ashtar D (Classic XY)17143

Footnotes:

  1. Alternatively V-Slot beams can be replace with linear guides + T-Slot for higher precision.

So with 3x V-slot and 14x V- or T-Slot 2020 500mm following of the Ashtar Series such as K, C, M or D can be implemented, as I intended from the very start with Ashtar K in 2018 to go for uni-length 2020 alu profiles – now it pays off.

Continue with:

or with

That’s it.