I can’t remember which update it was, but it was the one where the Maslow was attached to 4 points on the floor rather than being installed on a frame at an angle…
Ever since I saw that update, I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of adding another belt and connecting it to the ceiling to create a z-axis. Of course, for a CNC router like the Maslow that already has a small z-axis, that doesn’t make any sense, but what if the Maslow wasn’t a CNC router? What if it had an FDM print head instead? I guess I’m not talking about a Maslow anymore, but with the belt system and automated calibration that the Maslow has now made possible, why not create a 4x8x8 FDM printer? Or an 8x8x8 FDM printer for that matter?
Or maybe you could place your anchor points in the corners and ceiling of a 10x12 shed from Home Depot and make turn the entire shed into a 10x12x8 FDM printer? I mean, at that point, everyone could print their own (small) boat! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve already ordered my Maslow 4 and I can’t wait to start cutting up sheet after sheet of plywood and OSB (which I’ll probably use to make a small boat), but I can’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be to have a 10x12x8 FDM printer in my back yard!
Heck, now that I’ve actually articulated this idea using actual words, why stop at a Home Depot shed or with PLA!? I’ve seen plenty of news stories and promotional videos about how 3D printing is going to solve the housing shortage, but none of the machines featured in those was cable based. Why the heck not! Sure, the control algorithms are probably much harder, but just think of the print size you could achieve! Use concrete, use foam, use whatever you want as a print medium and you could print as big a house as you want!
I mean, I think you could… I don’t actually know, I’ve never tried… I’ve got a Creality K1 and I’m just always frustrated that I can’t print bigger stuff
“In conclusion, F3DP has the potential to drive progress in the construction industry and enable highly efficient fabrication processes for innovative functionally graded mono-material building elements through the development of advanced inorganic materials and adaptation of existing printing and processing technologies. Thus, architects and engineers are offered the opportunity with F3DP to rethink monolithic building in terms of performance, resource circularity, and material expression for sustainable future construction.” ~ Foam 3D printing for construction: A review of applications, materials, and processes
