Earlier this year, a man named Aldric Negrier create what he called Buildersbot. Basically it was a compact machine which merged both 3D printing and CNC milling. The design was open source, and details on how to create the machine were made available by Negrier on Instructables.
The future of the maker movement will likely see all kinds of interesting new ways to manufacture at home. The Buildersbot is certainly not the only machine which will allow for multiple functions within a manufacturing process. In fact, Luminar, a Nampa, Idaho based company, led by a man named John Rule, is about to one-up the Buildersbot.
Within days, they will be unveiling their TriBot, 3-in-1 3D printer, CNC milling machine, and inject molder on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The machine is quite capable, with Luminar giving an example of how all three features can be used during a manufacturing process.
For instance, one may decide to prototype a toy football via the 3D printing function. Once prototyped, and the design is perfected, they can then use the CNC milling machine to mill out the a perfect mold, based on the design of the 3D print.
Below you will find the basic specifications of each function of the TriBot machine:
3D Printer:
- Build Area (Inches): 11 x 5 x 9
- Filament Size/Type: 3mm PLA
- Included Nozzle Sizes: .35mm, .5mm and 1mm
CNC Mill:
- XYZ Travel: 11” x 5” x 9”
- Table/Mounting: Cast iron table with 3 T-slots for fixture mounting
- Spindle Taper: R8 standard
- Capacity: Drilling 1/2” and Milling 1/2”
- Steppers: NEMA 23 Stepper driven 3 axis motion, 1/8 step 24 v dc power supply
Injection Molding:
- Shot Size: 0 to 4cc
- Filament Types: PLA, ABS, POLYPROPYLENE, POLYETHYLENE and more
- Cavities Per Inject Cycle: One or More
- Vary Cavity Fill Volumes?: Yes, can setup for multiple cavities of the same or different fill volumes
- Temp. Control: Digital PIC temperature controller
Let’s hear your thoughts on this new 3-in-1 machine in the TriBot forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video below, showing off the machine’s functions.