hexastorm: we are live on kickstarter!

Hey Reprap community,

I need your help!
As you might have read on 3ders.org or on the Reprap wiki, I have launched a Kickstarter for an open-hardware transparent polygon scanner.
Laser scanning, the process of deflecting a laser beam in a controlled manner, plays an important role in 3D printing, laser engraving, and many other modern technologies. Laser-equipped 3D printers could bring a huge benefit to the overall Reprap project; photo-polymerization, sintering etc. You can even try to create a machine which you can use to fabricate printed circuit boards.
High-end laser scanners are expensive as you need an expensive f-theta lens. In the technology, I propose this lens it not needed. If successful, the kit will be released as open-hardware.
I think open-hardware is a cool business model and the Reprap project would actually benefit from open-hardware for profit companies. A technical presentation is on the kickstarter page.

You can help, in the following way:
* buy the kit or a component via Kickstarter
* create prior art in the field of transparent polygon scanners; please do not edit the articles I wrote unless you know what you are doing
You can also create a separate article, but try to brain storm as much potential applications with transparent polygon scanners as possible.This will block closed source companies and benefit the Reprap project.
* i need engineers;
Ideally; you are experienced in 3D printing, programming and know how to design PCBs. You need to have a cofounder mentality and be willing to work in the region of Rotterdam (Netherlands).
If you know such a person; let me know! Emails are welcom at info@hexastorm.com
* i need promotion
like it on twitter; empower the masses --> i am all alone

I really think that with a transparent polygon scanner, Reprap machines could compete with the leading machines in the PCB or photo-polymer market..

So help me out!!

Best,

Rik, founder of hexastorm

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2017 12:17PM by Henri Starmans.

I saw the project, but didnt really get what your device was, is it using a prism to maneuver or focus a laser or something else.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2017 03:34PM by MechaBits.

The prism is used to maneuver the laser beam. The laser is focused by an aspheric lens.
If you focus a laser bundle into a very small spot you have to move it fast in order to illuminate a large substrate. Think about painting the wall with a very small brush --> it takes a long time.
In printing you can use a laser to melt powders or solidify polymers an example is formlabs.

So instead of a mirror & flat field lens it a prism & aspheric lens(does this have to refocus or is it set, does it loose at the edges compared to f-theta or doesnt it matter ), so the lens has a certain amount of vision and the laser works the area, but then laser lens assembly still has to move to cover rest of area, obviously must be more to it than this if its normally done another way, is it easier to move a mirror than prism? Cheaper lenses? Been playing a little with lenses recently so was looking at your visual for clues as to what was going on, but without grasping what was new. Formlabs looks cool, presume lens is prefocused on the surface then the laser can cover the area without mechanical movement.


Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2017 06:38PM by MechaBits.

The prism changes the position of the focus point longitudinally and transversally. The laser lens assembly indeed still has to cover the rest of the working area. Here is a great example of how that could work;
infinite field of view. Formlabs indeed is cool; but they have a 140 micrometers spot in the form 2. Hexastorm should give you something below 60 micrometers. Great renders; what did you use!?

The Software wasnt Zemax, but in your call for help you asked for
*create prior art in the field of transparent polygon scanners maybe I can do this
I'm alone too, and visuals are what I like to do, I can produce some material for you
if you have ideas of what you want to see,
I have a number of different ways to do this and will pick the right tool for the job,
some have limitations and I have to work around them to get what I want to see.

Mechabits, I am glad you are willing to help. Renders are useful; you can make a render from a transparent prism and how that looks.
This would help me sell the Hexastorm. For the Reprap project it is better if you focus on creating prior art. How do you create a 3D printer with a transparent prism. How do you apply a new layer!? Where is your calibration system? These are the key questions. I don't think I am going to raise 50K via Kickstarter. But still you have to look at the long term interest here. Where is reprap in 10 years!? Maybe then they like transparent prisms. Patents are for 20 years. We need to block them now !

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2017 11:59AM by Henri Starmans.

Can you explain a little more? what you mean by prior art? I took it to mean stuff already created which seems strange as I was proposing new stuff created)
(read the wiki you refer to previous patents, so back to the question of is this new method unique enough to warrant new patent, most likely they would refuse, to protect the big boys, (and then steal the research if there was something unique))
How to create a 3D printer with a Prism? or how to create one on a 3D Printer
I can create a prism no problem white light in diffraction out no probs
but I thought maybe modelling your system/ or exact prism 3 sides or 6 as your title implies
i understand there might be some sensitive info if your system is new and hasnt been done before
so have no problem with NDA. Some communication in private perhaps.
I thought you might know more about applying layers & calibration
but perhaps not, in which case I assume your device might be used in a standard SLS type setup
Powder or Resin?
I'm not sure you can patent a prism, or a moving prism in a lens assembly, but without more info & understanding I wouldnt know what I can make to assist, I do know some anamorphic lenses use prisms to stretch&squash images and maybe even that patent has run out, though I dont know how your will differ from what I have seen before, or why the inside face of a prism is any different from a single face mirror.(but now i see you have a mirror in there too)
I'm sure there are many more people here that have skills you need, though dont know if they already have similar/ or competing alternatives, VDX is the main guy that stands out as someone who probably has a lot of info you need, but I'm not sure how far free consultancy goes. a lone Kickstarter is most likely to get nowhere, but at least you got your message out there, how did you get the article on 3ders, did you submit it yourself?

Some of this may be answered by me reading the wiki, doing it now, but brain doesnt want to take it in

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2017 09:36AM by MechaBits.

PS I think without a working prototype it shouldnt be on Kickstarter (though after reading wiki I remembered you have a box of tricks made) they have rules(cg images are also taboo so possibly of no help to campaign, but great to try to replicate it in 3D for other uses on wiki), hopefully someone that can see a use for it will help to build it into a test machine.
Does the device only need one aspheric lens would a doublet or triplet arrangement improve things, or does it not really matter at these scales, focused on a fixed point? a certain distance, or adjustable probably all answered if I read the wiki and take it in.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2017 06:58PM by MechaBits.

Prior art is indeed stuff already created. By creating prior art, i mean that you claim new ideas. I am now working on an article here recoating.
You have to understand that the patent attorney sometimes accepts stuff which is not novel at all and straightforward to see by someone experienced in the field.
To help the patent attorney; I have created a quick list of ideas.
I have had many questions of people; can you show a test system or how do I make a 3D printer with it!? A test systems was shown on the Euromold in 2014 called the Lepus Next.
The article got accepted by 3Ders.org because I have a large network and could contact them directly. They reviewed it and accepted it.

Video of recent progres;
[www.youtube.com]
Working prototype;
[hackaday.io]