When it comes to buying or building a desktop 3D printer, there are two types of individuals. There are those who seek out already built turn-key machines which are ready to run minutes after they are taken out of the box, and then there are the do-it-yourselfers (DIY’ers) who prefer to build their own printers from the ground up.
For one man, named Ryan Adams, he falls into the latter of these two categories. He is a designer, who goes by the handle, “MiniMadRyan”, working with mapleMaker Media to provide open-source 3D printable designs for 3D printers, targeting those individuals who like building their own machines with various custom elements.
The latest design, released by Adams and mapleMaker Media, is for a 3D printer called the mapleMaker Mini V2.
One of the cool features of this machine is its ability to 3D print a large number of the parts needed to assemble replicas of itself. Unlike a lot of the other RepRap 3D printers available, the mapleMaker Mini V2 features an entire frame that is completely 3D printable.
“The mapleMaker Mini introduces you to the world of additive manufacturing and 3D printing,” Adam writes. “With your own 3D printer, your concepts and design ideas can be translated from computer drawings to physical objects in short period of time. The aim of this kit was to reduce costs and create an accessible, hackable, upgradeable, and ultimately, user customizable 3D Printer. We believe that a 3D printer should evolve with its users’ needs and knowledge, and become a platform for any number of future upgrades and additions without the need for costly re-works or additional components.”
The 3D printer which Adams has made available on YouMagine, is pretty much as self-replicating as a 3D printer can get with today’s technology. The entire frame is 3D printable, as well as all of its major components. Best of all, it takes less than 36 hours to print out all the components required for its assembly. All of the 3D printable parts as well as instructions and the bill of materials can also be found on YouMagine.
The mapleMaker Mini V2 features a large 8″ x 6″ x 6″ build volume and utilizes a high end, top of the line E3D Lite 6 hot end. In addition to the 3D printed parts, other electronics will need to be sourced, including the NEMA 17 stepper motors, an Arduino Mega 2560, a RAMPS 1.4 controller, an LCD display, an MK8 extruder drive gear, and more. The complete list can be found via the company’s website.
What do you think about this new 3D printer? Is it a machine which you would like to construct and self-replicate yourself? Discuss in the mapleMaker Mini V2 forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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