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• CubeSpawn is the Borg of Open Source Hardware

  CubeSpawn • 10/06/2015 at 20:06 • 0 comments

  Here are the Elements of the CubeSpawn System as the stand today:
  
  https://picasaweb.google.com/103828779781480193226/DougsShopPhase2#6202620107616244994

• Inadvertent progress

  CubeSpawn • 05/10/2015 at 17:01 • 0 comments

  Daily progress seems slow, but the cumulative progress is beginning to become significant:

  the CubeSpawn system consists of 5 basic sub-systems:

  1. The cubical enclosures, (Frame)

  2. A removable Mechanical Module

  3. A removable Electr(ical/onics) Module (the control software runs in here)

  4. A backplane to connect the two modules to each other and the frames sensors

  5. The mechanical/electrical and electronic connectors to tie the machines together.

  These are all in some fairly advanced functioning state, and in building them I have discovered a significant number of improvements that could be implemented (leading to a "two steps forward, one step back" cycle of design improvements.)

  This, in turn, has made everything take months where I thought it would take weeks, but I think the payoff is getting pretty close.
  

  While waiting for some parts to come in I have worked on a modular fixture solution for the Milling Machine Cube. Due to the overwhelming engineering task involved in creating a whole flock of machine designs, I will be adapting existing open source machines to the mechanical modules rather than rolling my own machines, since this, after all is why we open source!
  

  From a practical standpoint, this means finishing out the circuit mill/router/milling machine design is going quickly, The 3D printer is done, all but a few details...

  Since I'm using existing open source designs, appropriately adapted to the modules constraints, this also applies to a Laser Cutter, a Vacuum Former, a Surface Grinder and several others.

  Additionally, I have part of a Cube mounted on a CNC milling machine to test out and expand the modular fixture setup, and I am using the fixture to make cube parts and plan sequencing for said parts (some require multiple setups, g-code, and tools.

  I feel that this only the tiniest of preliminary steps, since there is an open field for application, since many of the projects I see on Hackaday could be made into automation templates and created semi-automatically on a CubeSpawn array.
  

  Some fixture parts

  Making Cube side panels on the modular fixturing

• Modular Fixturing Progress

  CubeSpawn • 04/21/2015 at 17:50 • 0 comments

  While the main Focus has been on the 3D printers Hot-End, while waiting for parts I put together a few more pieces of the Modular Fixture for the Milling Cube:

  the 350mm Pallet, indexed on 4 pins to a 400mm Base-plate, I'll mount the clamps next to be able to swap plates out for multiple operation machining and 3D printing fixtures.

  An automatic fixturing cube is partially designed to robotically set-up fixturing to turn stock into parts.

  In the Cube mill, the Base-plate will be a part of the machine more pix here:

  https://picasaweb.google.com/103828779781480193226/DougsShopPhase2?noredirect=1#6140248481839799042
  

  Feedback appreciated!

• Slow but steady

  CubeSpawn • 04/17/2015 at 02:10 • 0 comments

  Building the Hot End,

  working out the modular electrical setup for the Heated bed pallet

  Here is the 350mm "Light" Pallet for the 3D printer, Circuit Board mill etc

• Much Progress, few updates

  CubeSpawn • 03/18/2015 at 14:24 • 0 comments

  I have been trying to ping all the relevant components to the central idea:

  So I added a post to the Ethereum discussion:

  https://forum.ethereum.org/discussion/98/cubespawn-an-affordable-distributed-open-source-fms-flexible-manufacturing-system#latest
  

  And the latest pics are here:

  https://picasaweb.google.com/103828779781480193226/DougsShopPhase2?noredirect=1#
  

  Couple of short video's to the Youtube channel also

  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_pD1fekqXGpVXcshxrsQRQ
  

  N Joy!

  feedback appreciated!, help, even more so.

• Belated updates

  CubeSpawn • 02/06/2015 at 17:02 • 0 comments

  I have not invested much time in updates, instead choosing to focus on getting some hardware up and running, a sponsor has given me the run of a fairly complete machine shop, but its about 3 hours away from home, so it requires some planning...

  --> the latest is to get the 3D printer module running and implement a working backplane:

  Getting close to a generally usable design for the light milling machine, a "heavy" mill and a lathe... stay tuned

• Where the Action is...

  CubeSpawn • 08/22/2014 at 00:30 • 0 comments

  I will be putting a lot of the documentation here: goo.gl/MO0sta

  CubeSpawn Ultimaker 3D Printer Module

  and here: goo.gl/7BaBIh

  CubeSpawn 3 Axis Mill Module

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