A robot for automating 3D printers

We have started building the prototype robot! We are using standard 3D printer parts to build the mechanism (2020mm extrusion, pulley rails, etc).

Picture paints a thousand words, a CAD mockup is easier than drawing a picture. 

We have made the first CAD mockup for how the project works. 

Initially used as a means for rapid prototyping, 3D printing is rapidly becoming a genuine manufacturing option for end use products. While traditional manufacturing methods are still ideal for mass production, additive manufacturing (AM) offers several significant benefits for certain applications. Injection molding, die casting, and other traditional manufacturing methods require large initial costs to setup production lines. Moreover, these facilities need excessive time and expertise to modify later on. These constraints inhibit Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from accessing the technology and discourages design iteration/innovation. In this project, we attempt to build an autonomous 3D printing farm; which offers a flexible, lean, and agile manufacturing solution. The proposed 3D printing farm is fully autonomous, via a mobile robot that automates each 3D printer. The 3D printing farm is intended to provide a a cheap easy-to-access, quick-to-start manufacturing option.