RAR Print - a homemade 3D printer from CD rom'ov

In early December 2013, the Muve3D photopolymer 3D printer fell into the hands of. The printer came with a kit, direct from the USA. This project was launched on a crowdfunding platform in April 2013 and successfully implemented . However, the design required a rather time-consuming assembly and adjustment. To everything else there were various kinds of flaws. Nevertheless, it turned out to assemble and start the printer. Got the first experience.


In the photo is the same Muve3D.

In parallel with dancing, the printer began to study more deeply the topic of photopolymer 3D printing. In Russia there is an institute IPLIT RAS , which has been dealing with laser stereolithography (photopolymer printing) since the days of the USSR. They print different things:


VAZ car headlight block.


The model of the module is the "Quantum" of the Mir space station.

Some time later, I saw a disassembled CD rom, I immediately remembered the thickness of the tracks that the laser burns (about a few micrometers). And then it started digging the Internet into existing developments. An interesting article appeared on the net about creating a laser cutter from CD Drives :



However, the design was intended for laser cutting rather than three-dimensional curing of the photopolymer, and it was decided to create its own design: a



3D model of the prototype of a 3D printer mechanics.



And his first physical embodiment with the help of 3D printing.

The principle of operation of the RAR Print 3D printer is similar to most existing ones. The digital 3D model of the object that we will print is loaded into the software. I used the open source software (Repetier Host) and the Arduino open software and hardware platform, which makes it possible to control all the components of a 3D printer. The optical system from the CD drive moves along two horizontal axes: X axis and Y axis. What had to be done next was to replace the laser diode of the optical drive system with an ultraviolet LED for 20 rubles. This replacement is due to the conditions for curing the photopolymer fluid. The tank is filled with liquid photopolymer, which hardens under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. When the optical head lit up one layer of liquid photopolymer and it stuck, the removable platform rises one layer up (about 10 -100 micrometers). The whole process is repeated until all the layers that make up our 3D model are cured.



Gutted CD and DVD drives.



Electronics placement (Arduino Mega 2560 board - the brain of the printer).



Appearance of the printer case.





The first print from photopolymer.

Conclusion

Creating a 3D printer from an idea to implementation took about 3 months. The project was launched in December 2013 and the finished prototype was released in early February 2014. The cost of its creation is about 10,000 rubles. Thanks for participating to my Tomsk colleagues and Roman Bogdanov.

I am extremely glad that at that time we were not able to commercialize it and now this project is accessible and open. The main idea of ​​3D printing, in my opinion, is precisely this. In the future, the development of this project will allow you to create very small objects, one of the directions is the printing of microcircuits right at home.

For self-production, the project is available for free download on the Thingiverse website .