3D_Printer_On_Wheels

3D_Printer_On_Wheels GitHub Dexarm_GitHub Rotrics_Dexarm_Manual

1/24/24 Meeting w Fonseca (Senior Project Advisor)

• Need to ensure we choose a viable final deliverable.
• Given a fully functioning 3D Printing Robot on Wheel's may not be viable, Fonseca suggested creating an interface to communicate with the robot.

1/25/24 Understanding 2D Printing (CNC with Pen and Paper)

Notes:

• When booting up the Dexarm, it moves to Home and the default Work Height.
• One can create a python script that parses a .g-code file and sends it to Dexarm.
• To print 2D .svg images, the images need to be converted to .g-code files.

Question: How does one set the work height during g-code generation? Which open source .svg to .g-code generator works best? I generated a g-code file for a 2D pen print using rotrics studio and exported it. I then created a python script that ran through the g-code and sent it to the Dexarm robot using pyserial. Looking at the print, I realize that the robot tends to not follow commands that require drawing a curve between two points. Along with that the robot doesn't pick up the pen, or rather take into account needing to move the pen off the paper by increasing the z-value. Chat GPT replied with the following possible causes: 1. Curve Commands Not Executed Properly: - Unsupported G-code Commands: The Dexarm firmware might not fully support G2/G3 commands. Some CNC devices and 3D printers only support straight-line moves (G1). If this is the case, you can: - Reconfigure g-code generation: In Rotrics Studio or your CAD/CAM software, look for an option to approximate curves using a series of short straight-line moves instead of G2/G3 commands. - Preprocess the g-code: Write a Python script to interpolate G2/G3 commands into small G1 segments. 2. Pen Not Lifting This issue suggests that the Z-axis movement commands (like G1 Zxxx) are either missing, ignored, or not configured correctly. 3. Communication/Timing Issues with pyserial If commands are being skipped or ignored, it could be a problem with how you're sending the commands to the robot. - Buffering Issues: The Dexarm may be receiving commands too quickly, causing it to drop some of them. Add a delay after sending each command to allow the robot to process it. - Command Termination: Ensure each g-code command is properly terminated with a newline character (\n) 4. Calibration and Z-Axis Configuration - Ensure the Dexarm is calibrated correctly, especially for the Z-axis. Improper calibration can cause the robot to not lift the pen or apply the wrong height during drawing. - Double-check the workspace and ensure the Z-axis "pen down" and "pen up" heights are defined correctly in the robot's settings.

Future notes:

• 3D Printing bed should be 15 cm from the base of Dexarm for maximum working area.
• E-Axis replaces x-axis movement (When on top of moving platform, the entire Dexarm moves instead of just the head.)
• Movement speed units are mm/sec

Thoughts for the future:

Rotrics Studio has an option to integrate a sliding rail which uses the E-Axis feature. Given there is an E-Axis, we may attempt to have that axis movement translate to wheels of the AVG Robot that is set to be used as the moving platform by x mm. Must figure out if we can take advantage of the feature.

My Conda Environment

This repository contains an environment.yml file to set up a Python environment with all required packages.

🚀 Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/JofredG/3D_Printer_On_Wheels.git
   cd 3D_Printer_On_Wheels

2. Create the Conda environment:

   conda env create -f environment.yml

3. Activate the environment:

   conda activate seniorEnv

---

📦 Notes

• This environment file includes both Conda and pip-installed packages.
• If you update the environment, you can regenerate the file using:

  conda env export --from-history > environment.yml