RepRapPro Ormerod

I am waiting to see some examples from machines that have been built before I bite the bullet on getting an Ormerod. So many choices in machines, as much as I admire the self replicating aspect, for me producing finished prototypes that I can give to a client would make a huge difference to my business. OK it can be sent out to a 3rd party, but my work involves confidentiality agreements etc and I need to do this work in house at a price a one man outfit can afford and justify.

Please show some examples of what you have printed on your machines.


Joules

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Nil Einne
Maybe I misunderstood but I don't know if anyone was really suggesting the problem was with what droftarts/Ian did in this thread. The issue is that DeuxVis and possibly others never realised before that droftarts worked for RepRapPro because it's not always mentioned in the post he makes (which as has been said is ultimately up to him but there are good reasons why many feel it's a good idea). The fact that droftarts mentioned it here is probably what started the whole thing as people realised from what was said here that he works for RepRapPro.

I've been on the forum longer than I have worked for RepRapPro (joined forum April 2011, worked at RRP since December 2012), so there is a lot of my older posts that don't have a RepRapPro signature (I don't use the automatic sig, I write it in). If I'm helping people with RepRapPro machines, I say who I am, so they can take my advice seriously. If I'm at work and using the RepRapPro username, it's always about work, and I always use my signature - I wouldn't use it for commenting on other things. Other employees of RepRapPro have used the username in the past, but make it clear who they are when they post. If I'm helping someone who doesn't have one of RepRapPro's printers, or making a comment about something else, I use the droftarts account, and may or may not use my signature, depending on what I'm commenting on. If critiqued someone else's printer, I would say I work for RRP, but not put my signature in, so it's not an official RRP thing. My post earlier in this thread was just to offer some clarity on the questions in the thread, but does have my own opinion, so I didn't want it to carry the weight of an 'official' notification from RRP, though I appreciate now I should have said I actually work for RRP. I can't seem to edit that post now, probably because it has moved in the forum.

I think this is a sensible use of usernames and signatures, allowing for a split between work and opinion, whilst maintaining a consistent online persona. Sorry if it confuses anyone; it's not my intention to mislead. Let's move on. If an admin needs me to change my use of usernames, please PM me.

Ian
RepRapPro tech support

@Nil Einne,

indeed nuances are easy to miss in text-only communication

On with the thread - this is my first jump into reprap (I bought one of the `first batch of Ormerods from RS), so I can't throw much comparative light on the Ormerod design versus other machines, but I can confirm that it is well designed from a build point of view (especially with the updated instructions now available).

Calibration wise, the axis movements are accurate using the pre-set steps per mm - using a hand-held digital caliper as a "dro" I get 99.9-100.2mm travel on each axis (x,y,z) for a 100mm movement (the uncertainty in measurement is because of the way the measurement was taken I think, I'll attach a gauge properly to measure for further calibration when I get to use the machine "in anger". The extruder calibration is simple (the preset seems to overfeed, but the value in the current config file corrects that, but manual calibration is likely to be necessary - simple though as I said), movement in the filament is very reproducible calibrated or not.

Levelling the bed is pretty simple (but a little fiddly), the automatic plane transformation that compensates for residual slants seems to work very well, and will be a very useful feature. The z axis is homed using an IR proximity sensor - by design this requires use of aluminium tape in four spots on the bed, but actually I found that by aligning the sensor while checking its readout, I get strong signals from the kaptan tape alone (I haven't yet done any statistical analyis to see how reproducible the signal is, but the bed compensation works fine for me without aluminium reflectors).

Initially I positioned the Z axis pillar in the wrong place so X homing resulted in crashes for me, the printer is robust enough to withstand these! It appears that the same IR probe is used to detect X home (by reflection from a plastic tab on the Z pillar), and now that the head can reach this tab, it homes correctly Y axis homing is relative to a microswitch, this also works correctly.

My machine seems to have a faulty duet board, which I understand is to be replaced, so I haven't printed more than the first few layers of the test pieces, so haven't carried out the orthogonality correction (though I presume this will work as well as the related bed compensation). The quality of these layers is surprisingly good since I'm at the bottom of a learning curve in using 3D printing (solid and smooth bottom layer, good in-fill and smooth outline), so I have high hopes.

Thanks rayhicks, nice write up! But then, I'm biased...

Ian
RepRapPro tech support

@Joules,

early days for me yet, but I managed to print some pieces today, I've uploaded a blurry video to youtube [youtu.be] (not sure why the link is youtu dot be, but it works) of it printing test pieces. I had the head a little high and the temperatures a little low to get good adhesion on one of the three parts that should have printed, and I stripped this as it printed (it IS my first machine ) I then printed a couple of smaller parts (coathook and a bar fastener), the photos of which I'll upload tomorrow if I can get my mac to recognise the camera's SD card.

The calibration test pieces look a bit ropey, but they used minimal infill I think so reducing material wastage - and I didn't have the temperatures right. the finish on the coathook is pretty acceptable for a prototype, not so for a one-off production item, but as I say it's early days for me.

I bought this machine for similar reasons to those you have maybe - for prototyping, and also potentially one-off or short-run pieces that are beyond my manual lathe and mill (and skill) to machine (mainly enclosures and complex small items) - the printed pieces in the kit itself are definitely of the quality I aspire to, though there's no guarantee they were printed on Ormerods - maybe Ian/droftarts could comment with his official hat on...

Ray

Thanks Ray,
that was very useful I was impressed how quiet it all runs and that you use a Mac to drive it as I have an old Mac mini waiting for a 3D printer to turn up

I just did some prototyping for a customer and whilst the parts I made are to a high standard of finish, they are still making their minds up over design and I could have printed test parts in a few hours than manually machine prototypes over a few days that are now not to be used. Not a problem for me as I still get paid, but it ramps the customers R&D bill up. Look forward to seeing more of your printed work, I see my self £600 lighter after Christmas, usually put weight on at this time of year LOL.

I have managed to order one, I wondered if anyone knew which way round the dimensions go for the footprint?
Or more to the point, the size of the base. Presumably the figure includes the length of the arm which is going over the table.

With the Y axis cross ways in front of you, its feet are 350mm apart
The foot at the bottom of the Z axis is 190mm back from the Y axis feet.
The cantilever X axis projects about 155mm in front of those feet - towards you, and the X axis motor projects about 40mm back from the Z axis foot
The Y axis motor projects about 55mm to the left. and its belt pulley about 20mm to the right of the Y axis feet.
Height is 360mm

Pretty compact for a 200x200x200 build volume

Thanks. That's interesting because on rs they have stated 500x460x410.

So I'd need a little less space then. That's excellent news.

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JamesR10
Thanks. That's interesting because on rs they have stated 500x460x410.

So I'd need a little less space then. That's excellent news.

I just measured mine (ignoring the power supply).

Allowing for leads that come out of the sides, clips and the feed tube at the top, I make the enclosed size approx:
width Y 470mm, depth X 420mm, height Z 480mm

So RS figures give a bit of working space 30mm or so around it but I think their height figures ignore the tube at max Z height so are short.

Ok, unfortunately they've cancelled my order due to lack of stock.
Thanks, that's larger. But I'll work something out.

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JamesR10
Ok, unfortunately they've cancelled my order due to lack of stock.
Thanks, that's larger. But I'll work something out.

That's a shame but I see they have got another item number for the RepRapPro 3d printer with green printed parts. RS stock number 795-2333, back order for despatch 20/12/2013.

My order for the original red printer is still showing as due for dispatch 18th December, so fingers crossed I'll have it to play with for Christmas. I ordered late thursday afternoon, when did you place your order?

Saturday night. They sent the mail fairly early today, so you should be alright.
Yes I saw the other one, we'll see because the back order date keeps getting put back.