Project update #15
Hi,
This update is coming a bit later than usual because we were waiting for our prototype PCBs to be delivered.
PCB
We received the PCBs today and will begin testing the integrated components. As mentioned in the previous update, our focus is on ease of repair and upgradability to make the design future-proof. This includes adding connectors for easy part replacements and standardizing components to ensure they are easy to source. An added benefit is that this approach allows us to switch suppliers more easily if necessary.
We are still waiting for some components to populate the board. Below is a picture of the back of a non-populated PCB.
Motion System
Due to some customs delays, we are still waiting on certain motion system parts. We are actively working on resolving these issues and hope to showcase a more integrated machine in the next update. However, we have received some sample parts and are happy with their quality. This means that once we start assembly, we won’t experience delays due to missing components.
Outer Shell
We’ve made several design changes to the outer shell to improve sturdiness and shipping durability. These updates are currently in production.
Thank you for your continued support! We’re excited about the progress and look forward to sharing more soon.
Project update #14
Hi,
Outer Shell
Last week, we received some of our sample parts from our sheet metal supplier, specifically the side panels and we couldn’t be happier with the result! While a few details were slightly out of spec, we worked with the supplier to resolve them.
Switching from plastic to metal has made the machine much sturdier and significantly more scratch-resistant. These are not the final parts, as we still have some minor adjustments to make, such as reducing the number of mounting holes and adding handles to simplify installation.
We are still waiting on additional samples that are currently in production. These parts are undergoing a different coating process so we can compare, which will take a bit longer to complete. Below, you’ll find a picture of the side panels installed on a bare machine.
Motion System
We are working on standardizing as many components as possible in the motion system. This will make repairs and upgrades easier in the future. Some sample parts including belts, motors, and pulleys, are already on the way, and we’re evaluating their compatibility with our design.
PCB Updates
We are also refining our PCB design. The main reasons for this are:
Switching to more common ICs to improve availability.
Enhancing electromagnetic interference shielding for greater reliability. (While we haven’t encountered issues, we want to future-proof the design.)
Making the PCB more modular, so users can easily replace or modify components if they wish to mod their machines.
We’re excited about these improvements and will share more updates as we continue making progress.
Thanks for your support!
The Closed Loop Makers Team
Project update #13
Hi,
This update will be a shorter one. Over the past two weeks, we’ve primarily focused on quality control and testing, as we received a large number of samples from our suppliers.
Progress on Standard Parts
Last week, we placed orders for nearly all standard components, including motors, microcontrollers, screens, and more. Since we were able to test samples in advance, we’re confident in these selections. While some parts are still being refined, the core components remain unchanged, meaning that once everything is ready for assembly, we won’t have to wait for supplier lead times.
Outer Shell Design
We’ve also made significant progress on the outer shell. Currently, some samples are in production with one of our suppliers. We decided to replace plastic panels with sheet metal to improve durability, reduce shipping damage, and minimize electromagnetic interference. We expect to receive the first samples next week, which will allow us to begin the design iteration process for these parts.
Ahead of Schedule!
Even though this update may seem smaller, we’re excited to share that we are currently ahead of schedule! Of course, timelines can shift, and the main challenge we anticipate is the certification process. However, being able to place major component orders just six weeks after the campaign ended is a significant milestone for us.
We’ll keep you updated as we continue making progress!
The Closed Loop Makers Team
Project update #12
Hi,
Here’s a new update on what we’ve been working on over the last two weeks.
Tension Arm
We’re finalizing the design of the tension arm, and our tests show promising results. Right now, we’re focused on optimizing the design of individual components. Here are the key improvements:
Integrated Water Nozzle: The water nozzle is now built into the wire guide, reducing the chance of trapped air bubbles and ensuring precise flushing aimed directly at the workpiece.
Rerouted Cables and Tubes: We've reorganized the internal wiring and tubing layout to make assembly and repairs faster and more straightforward.
Improved Manufacturability: Some parts required excessive post-processing. To address this, we redesigned certain components and created jigs to speed up production.
Enhanced Usability: Some previous design elements were difficult to align and tighten. We’ve refined these areas to make setup and operation as user-friendly as possible.
Conclusion: We’re very happy with the improvements in the tension arm, it feels much sturdier and improves overall tolerances. Once all parts are finalized, we’ll conduct in-depth testing.
Coatings
Since most of our components are made from stainless steel, we’re exploring coatings to enhance their aesthetic appeal. Our primary focus is on black oxide, a treatment that darkens stainless steel while maintaining its corrosion resistance.
Additionally, we are running durability tests with a supplier to evaluate powder coating on stainless steel under submerged conditions with applied voltage.
Suppliers
As we refine our designs, we continue receiving parts from suppliers and performing rigorous quality control. This ensures we’re ready to place full-scale orders once the design meets our standards.
What’s Next?
Next week, we will finalize the remaining design optimizations for the tension arm. After that, we’ll shift focus to the outer shell and motion system. Once those are complete, we’ll move on to electronics development.
We’ll keep you updated!
The Closed Loop Makers Team
Project update #11
Hi everyone,
Here’s an update from the past two weeks.
We’ve been focusing on a few key areas of development, along with some smaller adjustments and changes. Below are the main highlights of our progress:
Prototyping Investments
To enhance our prototyping speed, we’ve made a few key investments. These include expanding our printer fleet with new additions and acquiring milling attachments. These improvements not only accelerate the production of metal prototypes but also allow us to test final production methods directly on our prototypes.
Tension Arm Redesign
We’ve made several updates to the tension arm design, particularly the upper wire guide, for a variety of reasons:
Improved Wire Rewinding: By increasing the distance between the wire guide and the spool, the wire now spools much more neatly, reducing tangles and inconsistencies.
Reduced Heat Buildup: The section of the wire between the guide and the workpiece tends to heat up the most during operation. Shortening this length reduces heat buildup, lowering the chances of the wire snapping.
Standardized Components: Adjusting the tolerances for certain holes allows us to use standardized parts for the wire guide. This change not only lowers production costs but also simplifies repairs and enables us to include spare parts more easily.
Enhanced Conductivity: With the switch to stainless steel, the entire tension arm can now act as a conductor, allowing both the top and bottom sections to supply voltage. This change decreases the resistance in the wire and further reduces heat buildup.
Removing allignment pins:This simplifies the assembly process by reducing the complexity and the tight tolerances previously required in this area. Alignment is now achieved by the components being sandwiched between the sheet metal parts, maintaining precision while streamlining production.
Tension arm testing
One reason for the delay in releasing this update was the wait for our stainless steel parts to arrive. To speed up the prototyping process, we opted not to powder coat these prototypes. Although we haven’t had the chance to conduct an in-depth testing campaign yet, initial tests show promising results. The deflection is nearly negligible, and the wire can now handle higher currents. We’ll share more detailed insights into the prototype’s performance in the next update.
Safety
We’ve implemented several safety improvements, focusing on both the user and the environment in which the machine operates. These changes, though relatively small, are essential for ensuring a safer experience.
For example, we lowered the water level in the machine by about a centimeter to reduce the risk of spills. Additionally, we upgraded our AC-DC converter to one with a higher safety rating. While these adjustments don’t affect the machine’s overall functionality, they required time for careful implementation and testing.
What's next?
We have several prototypes in the pipeline. If the new tension arm prototype performs as expected, our focus will shift to the electronics. This is a critical area since we rely on suppliers to manufacture our PCBs. Here are the key areas we aim to improve:
Improved Heat Dissipation: Optimizing the design to handle heat more effectively.
Standardized Components: Replacing certain components with more standardized options to reduce lead times and enhance scalability.
Enhanced EMI Resistance: Addressing electromagnetic interference generated by the spark by improving PCB shielding.
Another significant focus area is the outer shell of the machine. This involves refining the fabrication techniques used in its production. The current process for producing the outer shell is time-intensive, and we see opportunities to streamline this by redesigning fixtures and mounting points.
Reliability is, of course, a constant priority. We’ve ordered several components to enhance the machine’s dependability. Some improvements are straightforward, such as replacing the winding motor's plastic gears with metal ones for greater durability. Other changes are more substantial, like identifying a new supplier to ensure higher-quality and longer-lasting parts.
We'll keep you updated.
Project update #10
Hi,
This week’s update will be a brief one as much of our time was spent in meetings with various partners, suppliers, and on administrative tasks. While we’ve worked on small improvements between meetings, we’ll share more details once these changes are further along in the prototyping process.
With the Kickstarter campaign finalized, we’ve been able to provide more concrete commitments to our suppliers, which will continue to take up some of our time next week.
For those interested in the current developments, here’s a brief summary of what we’re focusing on:
Safety: Ensuring the machine is safe for non-professional environments by adhering to stricter safety standards is our top priority.
Reliability: We’re addressing edge cases where certain materials with internal stresses or impurities can pinch or weld the wire. This includes testing new movement strategies and improving the winding and unwinding mechanism to prevent slipping on the spools. This will also improve with the new stainless steel tension arm.
User-Friendliness: We’re committed to making the machine intuitive and easy to use across all aspects: software, firmware, and hardware.
Scalability: Our fabrication process was designed with in-house production in mind, but we’re optimizing parts for scalability by replacing custom components with standardized ones or redesigning where necessary.
Software: While waiting on other tasks, we’ve made progress on software, adding new features and fixing edge cases (non-intersecting points) and improving error messaging.
This update focused more on the operational side of the company, as we are currently awaiting some orders to provide a more detailed update on prototype progress.
Thank you once again for supporting our project. We’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress.
Project update #9
Thank You for Your Support
This truly feels like a dream come true, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you.
We’ve been hard at work, primarily focusing on software development, as mentioned in our previous update.
The upcoming week will primarily focus on administrative tasks. We need to finalize some arrangements for the new year and complete a few items for last year’s accounting. As a result, our next update will likely be a shorter one.
Software Development
We decided to start fresh with the software. The previous version, as shown in one of our videos, was built by continuously adding features on top of each other. While this approach worked in the short term, it made it challenging to add new functionality and track bugs across the program. By starting from scratch and using more widely known open-source libraries, we’re investing extra time now to save time in the long haul.
We’re also planning to release two versions of the software:
User-Friendly Version : Designed to make it easy for anyone to create parts.
Community Version : Open-source, with advanced settings for those who want more control.
Our current focus is on completing the user-friendly version first, as it will serve as the foundation for the community version.
Timeline for Release
Some of you have asked when the software will be ready. While it’s hard to provide a specific date, we’re committed to releasing a version to our beta testers as soon as it meets our standards and is free of known bugs (If you’d like to become a beta tester, fill in this form, and we’ll contact you once the beta version is ready to be tested).
Flexibility is key for us, this means when reliant on external factors like suppliers or certification offices, we prioritize those tasks. This allows us to keep moving forward with in-house production, design, and software development when delays arise elsewhere. So we are able to start shipping as soon as possible and never have to wait on external factors.
Progress Highlights
Here’s a summary of the current progress across various menus in the software:
UI (User Interface)(still working on):
We’re developing a clean, easy-to-use interface. Currently, the program uses simple buttons and text modules for testing, but this will change significantly once we release the beta version.
Import Menu:
Allows users to select a file and converts it to a matrix format for the program. Currently supports STL files, with plans to add support for other 2D and 3D formats (e.g., DXF, STEP).
Slicing Parameter Menu:
This menu orients 3D files automatically (flat side up by default) but allows manual adjustments. The user-friendly version offers perpendicular adjustments, while the community version will include degree-based orientation. A real-time visualization updates as changes are made.
Cutting Settings Menu:
Here, users can select material, thickness, wire material, and diameter. Default settings adjust automatically, but users can fine-tune them. We’re also planning presets for each material (Precise, Basic, Fast).
Path Settings (still working on):
This is where we’re currently focusing. The software sets the top-right corner as the default origin (adjustable). Users can add predrilled holes or specify approaches to internal features.
Export G-Code (still working on):
The final step generates G-code from the points of the design, ready for machining.
Internal Workings
For those curious about how the software functions, here is a real quick overview:
STL Conversion:
The STL file is converted from triangles into a matrix containing triangle points and normal vectors.
Reorientation & Slicing:
The software calculates extreme coordinates to determine the sheet’s perpendicular axis, reorients the matrix, and slices the part into a 2D layer. Only triangles near the slicing plane are processed, optimizing speed.
Cutting settings:
After slicing, the kerf thickness is calculated and the 2D form is offset by half the kerf thickness to account for the wire diameter and spark gap. Internal features are offset inward.
Path Settings (still working on):
Paths are generated based on user settings. For predrilled holes, the software identifies accessible features, pauses the program at each point, and allows rethreading.
G-Code Export (still working on):
Points and speeds are compiled into a G-code file for machining.
Metric and Imperial Support
Although everything is currently written in metric units, we plan to add support for imperial units in future updates.
Thanks again for your continued support!
Project update #8
Hi,
Some backers have asked for a more in-depth update on the changes we’ve made to the machine so far. Initially, we planned to wait until we had a final version of the improvements before sharing these changes. However, we understand that the iterative design process is an important part of our story, and we want to include you in it. Moving forward, we’ll provide longer updates with more detailed information. Please keep in mind that we’re still actively working on the features and improvements we communicate, so some details may change between updates as the project evolves.
Standardizing parts
The main improvements we’ve made so far include standardizing all parts. This not only allows you to tinker with the machine but also simplifies and speeds up the production process, helping us aim for an earlier shipping date than the estimated delivery. Additionally, we’ve upgraded all steel parts to stainless steel (all parts under water were already stainless steel). This enhancement provides protection against accidental water spills and prevents galvanic corrosion, ensuring greater durability and longevity.
Cutting arm improvement
The second improvement we are working on is replacing our laser-cut acrylic parts with stainless steel components to further enhance rigidity. While our design deals with relatively small forces compared to CNC mills and other techniques, we’ve identified that the main source of deviation lies in the tension arm. When the wire is tensioned, the arm flexes slightly (less than 0.03mm) but this contributes to our primary loss of precision. To address this, we’ve ordered custom stainless steel parts that should improve precision, reducing deflection by a factor of five according to our simulations. However, this improvement will need to be validated with real-world testing. Additionally, using stainless steel offers another advantage: it allows us to supply voltage to both the top and bottom of the wire. This reduces heat buildup in the wire and opens up the possibility of using even thinner wires.
These are simulations comparing acrylic to stainless steel. The deflection has been multiplied to make it more visible in the simulation. The color scale is the same for plexi and stainless steel and shows the strain of the material.
Tensioning system
The third improvement we are working on, and currently testing, is the tension adjustment system. In our previous version, we used rubber O-rings to supply tension, which made it difficult to adjust tension precisely. In this prototype, we’ve replaced the O-rings with stainless steel springs and an adjustment screw. Currently, the adjustment screw is made of steel, but we plan to replace it with a knob so it can be adjusted easily by hand. This upgrade allows for finer tension control, enabling the use of a wider variety of wires. For example, brass wire has much lower friction compared to copper, so precise tension adjustments are essential. This isn’t the final version yet, as we still need to test its durability and optimize the design for production.
Software
Software side, over the past few weeks, we’ve primarily focused on hardware development, as we anticipated some delays from suppliers during the holiday season. Since some suppliers are unavailable between Christmas and New Year’s, we plan to shift our focus back to software during this time. As a result, we don’t have many software updates to share at the moment. However, we are currently looking for beta testers for our software, especially those using Linux and macOS machines. If you’re interested in helping us test and improve the program, you can sign up using the Google form below. Once the beta version is ready, we’ll send an email with further instructions.
Testing
For our testing campaign, we are primarily focusing on speed and precision. Some of the improvements mentioned above address these areas. Below, you can watch a video in real-time speed of one of our speed tests. We’ve already made significant progress, improving from 5mm/min with aluminium to 15mm/s now (these tests also use brass instead of copper). These speed increases are not as big for all metals. But our initial tests with the upgrades and steel also show an increase in speed (just not as much as aluminium). We are currently still testing steel, brass and stainless steel (but are waiting on a delivery for more alloys to test). We are holding off on new precision tests until we receive the stainless steel replacements for the cutting arm to measure the improvement in deflection. Currently, we’re using two machines for testing:
One machine is dedicated to durability tests and does not yet have the improvements mentioned above.
The second machine, which lacks the external frame, is where we test all our prototypes, including speed and precision.
Once we finalize one of the upgrades, we’ll integrate it into the first machine to test its durability. Once we receive the necessary funds, we plan to invest in more machines to conduct long-term durability tests over an extended period of time.
Company
A lot of time has gone into making sure everything is in place to start selling and producing parts. This includes obtaining necessary permits and building strong relationships with suppliers. This is an area where we can’t share too many details, as it involves a significant amount of paperwork and behind-the-scenes work.
Hope this answers some of the questions, if you have suggestions on what we should improve or cover please comment or send us a message.
Project update #7
Hi,
We’re excited to share that our project is on schedule, and we’re even running slightly ahead of plan! To accommodate the holiday season, we’ve made some adjustments to our schedule.
Since we anticipate potential delays in orders during the holidays, we’ve decided to prioritize communication with our suppliers and partners to keep everything on track. We will be working throughout the holidays, which allows us to continue focusing on the machine, software, testing, and making improvements.
Happy holidays!
Project update #6
Hi,
This week’s update is more on the practical side. We’ve been focusing on finalizing contact with suppliers and setting up quality control measures to ensure everything is ready for production. Additionally, we’ve been managing administrative tasks to keep the process running smoothly.
We’re also waiting on some orders to conduct additional material tests.
Thank you for your continued support, we’re making steady progress!
Project update #5
Hi,
Here’s a quick update:
Thank you for your continued support! We’re currently testing various materials and steadily improving cutting speed. Additionally, we’re exploring different wire materials and will share the results on the Kickstarter page once testing is complete.
We’ve also received questions about the delivery date. The listed date represents a worst-case scenario, but we’re optimistic about starting shipments earlier.
Thank you for being part of this exciting journey!
First funding goal
We’ve hit our first funding goal, so we’ll include an extra spool with every machine.
We are currently testing the software internally and aim to release a beta version in a couple of weeks. Additionally, we’re conducting durability and material tests. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
Fully funded!
Dear Supporters,
Thanks to your incredible belief in our vision, we are thrilled to announce that we are fully funded! Your support has not only made this project possible but has also motivated us to push the boundaries of innovation.
We are grateful for each pledge, each share, and each word of encouragement. Together, we are creating something truly special, transforming ideas into reality. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to embark on this journey with you.
Thank you for being part of our mission!
One week and 88%!
Hi everyone,
We’re almost there! We want to thank the community for being so supportive and for providing valuable tips. We’ve just finished a video that dives deeper into the possibilities of the machine. Feel free to share it with anyone who might benefit from the WiredMaker.
Once we hit 100% of our funding goal, we’ll begin preparing our suppliers while continuing to improve the machine. Right now, our main focus is on the software and firmware. This will ensure that once we receive the funds, we can immediately start hardware production. Since creating the video, we’ve already added new features to the software.
We’ll keep you updated!
Wow, a great start!
Thank You to All Our Backers!
We are thrilled to share that we’ve already raised 32% of our goal in just 24 hours! Your support means the world to us, and we’re incredibly excited about the journey ahead.
We’re not resting, we’re hard at work enhancing our custom software. Our current focus is on adding new features, so we can release a beta version for you to test. Your feedback will be invaluable in shaping the final product, and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
We’ll be updating our Kickstarter page about twice a week to keep you informed every step of the way. Thank you for joining us on this journey, we’re so grateful!