Cost-Effective, Custom-Made, 3D Printer Design and Fabrication for Educational Purposes

The potential to transform consumerism makes the technology of 3-D printing a significant one. Being versatile in its use in many fields of science and technology makes it a relevant topic. This 3D-printer assists undergraduate and postgraduate students to build their prototypes and designs in a much easier way. In this research paper we have used open source software Repetier, to control the working of the 3-D printer. Linear rails with ball bearing roller sliders are being used in the design which gives it a smooth motion and thus results in high accuracy. Since Repetier is being used as the software controller, positioning of the 3D model to be printed becomes effortless. Apart from that the user also gets the privilege to frame a design through manual control of the system and visualise the progress in the task. The mechanical, electronics and control modules are designed in such a way that it will be easy to learn and fabricate even by bachelors and masters students which would help them in understanding basic concepts of 3D printing along with the experience in mechanical design and fabrication.