3D Printers

BuildersBot Fuses 3D Printing & CNC Milling Into One Builder’s Dream

“Enough with the 3D printers!” some jaded friends tell me. They’ll be happy to know that I will no longer discuss 3D printers. Instead, I’ll tell them about 3D printer-CNC router hybrids! Like the BuildersBot, for instance.

Powered by an Arduino Mega, a Ramps 1.4 Board, a Kress 1050 Spindle MFE, a 0.5mm J-head hotend, some power supplies and Nema 23 motors, the BuildersBot combines 3D printing and CNC milling into one powerful DIY machine. The bot’s creator, Aldric Negrier, designed his machine, not for commercialization and the usual Kickstarter launch, but because he needed both a 3D printer and a CNC router. And, with a work volume of 500 x 600 x 200 mm, there’s plenty of room to do a lot of Making.

The BuildersBot is made from a welded steel frame, so building it yourself may not be for those only dipping toes into Making, but, if you’re interested in a hybrid 3D printer/CNC machine, you’ve probably been treading water in the DIY pool for awhile. If you do decide to build it, following his instructions at Instructables, Negrier estimates the total cost to be about 1400€. You can see the entire build process in the video below. Fast forward to minute 2:50, or so, to see footage of the BuildersBot in action.

It’s nice to see more hybrid 3D printing projects, after numerous such machines hoping for commercialization last year and this year. We’ve yet to see one, however, that stands out among the crowd. If you’d rather not wait for a pre-built hybrid 3D printing/milling machine, though, you might follow in Negrier’s footsteps and design your own.

Source: Geeky Gadgets