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.