Ultimaker Original Lasercut File?

[jonnybischof 60]

We've had over 30°C on some days this week o.O

Would be really cool to see you on the Ultimaker Meetup in Zurich!

If all goes well, I'll have my Dibond prototype there... Just finishing up the drawings, tomorrow I'll be milling the parts (if no one else blocks the CNC )

 

[antiklesys 3]

When's the meetup?

 

[jonnybischof 60]

10 minutes from now

Dibond was not as good as expected... Will look for a better material.

[jonnybischof 60]

Just ordered some Trespa samples, because Trespa seems like the ideal solution:

Dibond was a complete disappointment...

If you have a large surface plate, then it's very stiff and strong. But cut out the arms of the Z-stage and you can bend them with two fingers..

Dibond is actually just PE (plastic bag plastic, pretty much the cheapest stuff there is) with some aluminum foils on top and bottom. It's just simply a crappy material for that use

I will have the z-stage arms lasercut from chrome steel like I planned initially. That will be expensive, but rock solid. I might also have some smaller parts lasercut from steel, still working out the details....

For the panels, chrome steel or any metal is not suitable, simply because you need something which is at least 6mm thick. Thicker would actually be better. I might use 8mm Trespa which should be rock solid and impossible to bend or break (except if ran over with a tank...)

So, chrome steel panels would not be suitable because 6mm chrome steel would be like 50kg heavy and impossible to pay or machine. If you make the panels thinner, then you can't use the "Ultimaker construction style". But I like that style and will continue using it. I don't want to build the printer from aluminum profiles because it's very hard to get the dimensions right this way.

So, if you rule out all metals (6mm Aluminum would work, but that has lots of other disadvantages), the only thing that remains is plywood or HPL (Trespa). HPL, which might be a cheaper alternative to the brand "Trespa", could be viable as you can get that in many DIY shops and it's not overly expensive.

Hope the samples will arrive soon, so I can make some CNC tests and check temperature resistance.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I have received the Trespa Samples.

The material really seems to be perfect. It's rock solid (even the 4mm pieces I got - 6mm should be extremely strong), beautiful (black is really black - outside surface as well as inside material, I'm not sure but I believe that goes for all "uni colour" variants), has a nice and very hard surface and generally a very high quality look.

I believe Trespa bests any metal, wood or other plastic material. I didn't hear anything from the Swiss supplier, but I'm afraid it's also going to be more expensive than most other alternatives...

/edit:

Black Trespa looks gorgeous with white Perspex Frost (UM2 sides)

 

[xeno 108]

Some pics ? :mrgreen:

I also love Trespa, I never thought about doing my Ultimaker+ with Trespa,

And I can probably cut it on my CNC.

I know Trespa can withstand water, but not sure about oils.

 

[nallath 1,120]

Trespa should withstand oils. Might have said this before; but chemical cabinets (The Dutch word is 'zuurkast') are often made with Trespa.

 

[jhertzberg 19]

From the Trespa US web site: "Trespa^® Meteon^® is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface manufactured using Trespa’s unique in-house technologies, Electron Beam Curing (EBC) and Dry Forming (DF). The blend of up to 70% wood-based fibers and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressures and temperatures yields a highly stable, dense panel with good strength-to-weight ratio’s."

Considering the composition, how do you think it would perform also as a print bed for Nylon? I tried Garolite LE, but the piece that I got from McMaster-Carr was too warped to be useful without serious flattening and bonding to a metal base. Are the Trespa samples that you received uniformly flat?

 

[aviphysics 9]

Does Trespa not cut well by laser? I have regular access to a pretty good machine. Also have access to a CNC router, but laser cutting seems more ideal to me.

 

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

Does Trespa not cut well by laser? I have regular access to a pretty good machine. Also have access to a CNC router, but laser cutting seems more ideal to me.

 

According to a contact I had to a company working with Trespa it cannot be laser cut but water jet cut.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

Here you go.

The pictures are AWFUL though. Sony cams are the crappiest of them all...

The Trespa plates are supposed to be RAL 9004 "signal black" which is actually just a dark grey. But in reality, the samples look much more like RAL 9005 "deep black".

The samples have a matte side and a rather glossy side. But both goes as the "Satin finish".

As for stability:

The samples make an "indestructible" impression. They are hard like stone, can only be bent with extreme force (the samples are only 4mm thick!) and the material looks really dense. The feel is comparable to extremely dense, hard wood rather than plastic. It feels like very high quality. Nothing like Dibond at all...

If you have an UM2, you know how Perspex Frost looks

The pictures just can't give it any credit. It's an awesome looking material (though only useful for cosmetic parts).

@jhertzberg

The Garolite plate I received from E3D-online was perfectly flat. I assumed they get them from McMaster, but maybe they have a better supplier... Anyways, their plates are good.

 

[aviphysics 9]

Would you be willing to share your CNC compatible panel design, once it is done?

[jonnybischof 60]

Of course I will

75% of the design does no originate from me. I just drew it myself, inspired by the knowledge which is published all over these forums and the UM source files...

It would be a crime not to share that

Do you have a source for lasercut steel (3mm)? That will be required if you want to build my design..

(It's mostly CNC milled Trespa / HPL, but some parts are made from lasercut steel)