Cartesian viscous material 3D printer

Develop a cartesian 3D printer for viscous materials and an extrusion system that is best suited for clay and cement like materials. The machine need to be thoroughly designed and fully functional after assembled. Usability: This is the first point as this printer is meant for novel users which may be new to the 3D printing world. For this reason, communication is crucial during all the iterations of the design in order to ensure that this requirements won’t slip in the back. Motion: It should be similar in the motion system to those in the attached pictures. Any modification proposal in order to improve usability will be evaluated also for future development. Controller: The controller will be open source and the firmware will be perfectly adapted for the custom build. Also, the controller should have WiFi capabilities in order to control remotely the printer. The candidate will evaluate which controller is best suited for this design and will communicate his informed decisions. Extruder: The extruder system should work either with a mechanic piston pushing the paste in the main tank through a hose, meanwhile a screw push down the material through the nozzle, or with the main tank directly attached to the nozzle. The candidate will evaluate which system is more functional to a smooth printing experience, especially with clay and concrete like materials. The key factors to keep in mind for this design decision are ease of flow of the material (to avoid inconsistent extrusion) and ease of tank replacement in case of mid print medium exhaustion. The candidate should keep in account that a future update of the machine will probably involve a dual extrusion system. Some open source designs are attached in order to provide inspirations and knowledge about good practice in the field. Calibration: The candidate should develop a system for auto-calibration. Important things to keep in account for this task are the material of the printing base and the material of the extrusion system to make an eventual inductive sensor work. Print volume: The print volume should be around 500x500x500mm. It is important to keep in account the height of the printing base. Curing: The candidate will develop a system to cure the materials through IR and fan cooling. Most importantly, IR will be used in a way that doesn’t interfere with additional material inside the extruder, so that it can be used mid print. Parts: The project should require no custom made parts (such as cnc or laser cut). The only custom made parts that can be accepted are 3D printed parts (in either PLA or PETg). It must be possibile to acquire all the parts from trusted vendors online. The bill of materials will include both top quality (such as misumi or other similar brands) and good quality knockoffs for each item in the bill. For the extruder’s nozzle, the candidate should choose a part that is available in different diameters, so that it will be possible to print at different resolutions. Build: The candidate will give assistance until the machine is functioning even if the monetary transaction has took part already. This part is fundamental in order to get a good feedback and to ensure future collaborations.