Talking about – Drones, 3D Printers, CAD/CAM, Software and Hardware development. A Software Architect/Engineer for decades I share insights and techniques learned from hands-on experience as I work with these amazing devices.
The goal of my posts are to provide tips, solutions, and promote further discussions in the forum.
There are four areas of focus
- Drones
- 3D Printers, Mills, and Laser etching/cutting
- CAD/CAM – Software and Techniques for multiple materials
- Software and Hardware Development
History
I started this site when I obtained my Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate as part of looking into commercial work. In that effort I designed and built several drones to get a solid understanding of their components and programming.
That is when I picked up a 3D Printer. I needed custom mounts for cameras that fit the frame I was using. A great idea with one serious flaw… I didn’t have any CAD skills.
Learning to operate a 3D printer is challenging but I was obsessed and ended up with several printers. Operating a printer is the CAM side of CAD/CAM. There are a lot of models available for downloading so a 3D printer is useful even if you never develop CAD skills.
I got into 3D printing because I needed a ‘custom’ part. CAD is quite difficult to master and it has taken me some time but I have settled on the tools that work for me and found I really like doing the design work. Here are several parts I have designed and am using. I hope sharing my experience will help guide your efforts as other’s who have shared their experience have guided mine.
Multiple Materials
My primary focus since I started printing has been working with Multiple Materials. Prusa’s MMU (Multiple Materials Unit) caught my eye and as I’ve gained experience with it I can say multiple material CAM adds complexity that make the design a lot more difficult. Follow along and see how it works out for me.
With 3D printing a problem at any point destroys the entire print. The MMU 2.0 demonstrated a new approach but rarely succeeded. Prusa addressed the issues with the 2S update which replaced the filament sensor and introduced the Filament Buffer.
I have had good luck printing with the MMU2S and can highly recommend it. You can expect a Multiple Material Print to take a lot longer because of all the filament changes, and there is a very high probability that the printer will pause for user interventions during a long print but, but the end results are stunning and worth the wait and little bit of extra effort.
I am encouraged by the progress they have made and expect the Multiple Materials Unit to be another market changing innovation from Prusa.
Summary
Drones have mature and come in all shapes and sizes. Explore the possibilities and join the community to gain insight and share your experience.
3D Printing is exciting and a logical step for serious drone owners, but there is a lot to master. I offer hard earned tips and tricks gained from hands-on experience to help guide others as I navigate these new frontiers.
The basic circuitry, hardware, and software for drones, 3D Printers, and tools (software) all have Open Source options. I pursue ‘Free’ options to promote learning. Even without a printer you can learn CAD.
Join the forum and share your experiences.