Author Topic: My attempt at controlling the Dephlem (Read 40487 times)

ShiFu · « **Reply #40 on:** September 22, 2016, 06:06:16 AM »

Hi weddy,
Yes, it uses the Mega with a Ramps 1.4 driver shield.
I'm sure there is a steep learning curve to get everything right but it is high time for me to finally jump in.
... and its great that you have been through the process, you are a resource if I get stuck

When placing the order we had the option of KIT (I assemble all the little pieces together) or Fully Assembled and Tested for ~$50 more.
Naturally I opted to pay extra for the assembled and tested version. But at $230 for the ready-out-of-the-box with a few extras just ain't bad.
Well, that's the hope.
At worst it will be a waste of time and money and if that is the case then I'll swap out the hot end for a tiny spindle to mill and drill PCBs.
Hoping it does not come to that and it is a useful tool instead of a "learning toy"

I should have everything worked out in a month after receiving it. Getting a good print using someones model would be a great step but a far bigger step would be to dream up something new and useful and printing it. That may take a little extra time

law-of-ohms · « **Reply #41 on:** September 22, 2016, 04:43:08 PM »

Solidworks can print direct to 3d printers. easy as pie. wheres my one?

weddy · « **Reply #42 on:** September 22, 2016, 09:01:31 PM »

Its a great thing to learn how to handle the 3d printer.
And if it doesnt work like you want, look for another hotend.
The mine was crappie.
But it was fun to build and to play whit it only took hours of my free time hahahaha.

Edwin

ShiFu · « **Reply #43 on:** September 23, 2016, 06:43:06 AM »

I'll have a look at SolidWorks, lawman. Thanks.

Weddy, I think I'm mechanically inclined but opted to pay the extra for the assembly and testing. Getting a single missing nut or bolt (or bad motor) replaced can be an ordeal.
I agree about the hot end, that does seem to be the critical bit.

It would be satisfying to build a 3D printer completely from scratch. And from looking at other people's builds it seems that having a printer is very handy for constructing another. Maybe someday.

ShiFu · « **Reply #44 on:** September 23, 2016, 12:15:23 PM »

Today the little EasyStepper boards arrived.

ShiFu · « **Reply #45 on:** September 26, 2016, 07:35:14 AM »

I've been playing with a small and very inexpensive geared stepper motor and ULN2003 stepper driver for the last couple of days.
I like it.
It has plenty of torque, even when powered directly from an Arduino Nano.

The motor and driver cost about 2 bucks.
I bought mine locally but a quick Aliexpress search found the same.

Click on image to enlarge.

My attempt at controlling the Dephlem

Shifu 20160927.png (120.68 kB. 350x287 - viewed 963 times.)

Not shown, or figured out yet, is the pair of limit switches. One for fully open and another for fully closed.
If the valve is allowed to fully tighten into the closed position it is very hard to crack it open again and I bet the stepper will either lose steps or fail to do it.
Otherwise the push connect valve stem is very easy to turn and the little stepper motor has no problems doing it.

The printer shipped from the factory yesterday evening. It should arrive at my door tomorrow or the next day.
I'm just bubbly with both excitement and intimidation. It is a learning experience I've been looking forward to for a long time.

ShiFu · « **Reply #46 on:** September 27, 2016, 09:17:48 PM »

3D printer arrived today. Mixed blessing.
Unpacked the unit and then the fun? begins.
Many tries later I get failed prints and I somehow consider that a major success.

Designing the part is not so intimidating. Slicing and dicing for printing seems to be.
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm just figuring it out, but you model it in one program, slice it in another program and port to another before final printing? Really it is that complicated?
3D printing is not so straightforward, guys. LOO says to do Solidworks for modeling (big, giant bucks) but he has never printed anything by 3D so I find it hard to spend the big SolidWorks bucks. I'm trying to find free and open source but if I have to pay some dollars I surely will.

I've got a lot to learn but I now have a 3D printer. Woo-who and yippie. It ain't nothing special but it IS a 3D printer, finally.

So far it doesn't do anything but print failed prints. But this is only day one.

Edwin Croissant · « **Reply #47 on:** September 27, 2016, 09:48:47 PM »

I did a short introductory class 3D printing at the Fablab in Rotterdam once and used Tinkercad to make a model. Maybe best to print an example file to start with

ketel3 · « **Reply #48 on:** September 27, 2016, 10:39:22 PM »

Quote from: ShiFu on September 27, 2016, 09:17:48 PM

3D printer arrived today. Mixed blessing.
Unpacked the unit and then the fun? begins.
Many tries later I get failed prints and I somehow consider that a major success.

Designing the part is not so intimidating. Slicing and dicing for printing seems to be.
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm just figuring it out, but you model it in one program, slice it in another program and port to another before final printing? Really it is that complicated?
3D printing is not so straightforward, guys. LOO says to do Solidworks for modeling (big, giant bucks) but he has never printed anything by 3D so I find it hard to spend the big SolidWorks bucks. I'm trying to find free and open source but if I have to pay some dollars I surely will.

I've got a lot to learn but I now have a 3D printer. Woo-who and yippie. It ain't nothing special but it IS a 3D printer, finally.

So far it doesn't do anything but print failed prints. But this is only day one.

Some one has to start with it ,so you are one of the beginners with this,all other later on can beneft this reminds me of a song made by Sade someone to use you some one like to abuse you some are want be abused.
This is one to one apart of this song.
Later on just bring it back to this forum we can all benefit and later on we mabe contribute ......for now you are all alone in the big world of 3 d printing SHIFU.
A great tip from Edwin Croissant start with a easy reference printing , and build from that to the greater knowledge.
All my respect fort the start of this project.
cheers K3

ShiFu · « **Reply #49 on:** September 28, 2016, 05:01:15 PM »

Thanks for the kind remarks and encouragement. So far it is a success.
AutoCAD, the 500 pound gorilla of the drawing, drafting and modeling world, has a FREE program for us (hobbyist only, not professional unless you want to give them big bucks). It is a great program that was purpose built for 3D modeling but its a big download - about 1/2 GB so you'll need a fast internet connection.
Its called "123D Design" and you can also download the amazing plugin for it called "Meshmixer". Watch a few YouTube videos of both programs. I think you'll be impressed. Both can import and export STL (3D printer) files but I don't think they slice or issue the G-code (necessary for my printer).
I paid for the program called "Simplify 3D". I got to admit it does make 3D printing easy.

I've been making VERY simple parts that I drew. A square, a circle, then a name tag and a few plant tags. Cleared a plugged hot end. Got parts to stick to the build table. Now printing my first complex part, the 3.2" Nextion bezel that was downloaded from their site. A 2 hour print before I know if its terrible or not.

YHB · « **Reply #50 on:** September 28, 2016, 06:38:58 PM »

Quote from: ShiFu on September 28, 2016, 05:01:15 PM

A 2 hour print before I know if its terrible or not.

We wait with bated breath

ShiFu · « **Reply #51 on:** September 28, 2016, 07:35:27 PM »

Quote from: Clickman on September 28, 2016, 06:38:58 PM

We wait with bated breath

Bate is over. It was a surprising success. Surprised me!

Simplify 3D was not entirely accurate. It said that the print would take 2 hours and cost $0.32 USD (based on my input of $10 per Kg of white PLA).
They were wrong.
It took 2.5 hours and the finished bezel weighed 8 grams and the support material that was broken away after the print weighed 12 grams. Obviously I have a lot to learn about providing support material.

I pay about $10 USD for 1Kg of PLA plastic wire stuff which works out to 1 US cent per gram - easy to figure costs when it is a penny a gram.

So the bezel cost $0.20 USD (that's right, 20 cents) including support material. Factor in my labor at $10,000 per hour and it still seems affordable (still waiting for someone to pay me $10,000 per hour - HEY GOOGLE, you out there?? )

My attempt at controlling the Dephlem

BezelPrinting.JPG (276.01 kB. 350x262 - viewed 899 times.)

My attempt at controlling the Dephlem

cleaningAwaySupportMaterial.JPG (264.65 kB. 350x262 - viewed 940 times.)

My attempt at controlling the Dephlem

Nextion3_2inBezel.JPG (271.25 kB. 350x262 - viewed 879 times.)

ShiFu · « **Reply #52 on:** September 28, 2016, 08:07:36 PM »

Tomorrow I start designing and printing the parts that I need to control a condenser.
I'll get the hardware working and then beg for help with the Arduino code

The goal is simple. Input the desired ABV to the touch screen and the microcontroller will do its best to regulate the water flow to the reflux condenser (dephlegmator for the bubble cap folks) to maintain that ABV until it is either exhausted or a different ABV is entered.

We already know how to get a digital AVB and we can do it very well. Next up is to leverage that technology to control the still so it outputs our desired ABV.

Set for heads - and when heads are exhausted the product flow stops.
Then set for hearts (or for packed column folks - azeotrope).
When hearts are exhausted then elect to shutdown or set to collect tails.

ketel3 · « **Reply #53 on:** September 28, 2016, 09:54:43 PM »

YES you did it ,every beginning is difficult,a good first result

ShiFu · « **Reply #54 on:** September 30, 2016, 05:38:14 AM »

Some progress in putting the stepper motor and valve together.

Eucyblues · « **Reply #55 on:** September 30, 2016, 06:28:04 AM »

I'm impressed with your rapid progress ShiFu - great work!!

ShiFu · « **Reply #56 on:** September 30, 2016, 07:11:51 AM »

Quote from: Eucyblues on September 30, 2016, 06:28:04 AM

I'm impressed with your rapid progress ShiFu - great work!!

And then it all went bad.

I connected water to the needle valve to see it turning the flow of water On and Off.
It didn't have the power to turn the valve with the water connected.
Ah! More power, Scotty! So I disconnected the 5V leads from the stepper to the Arduino and connected them to a 12V power supply and tried again.
It still refused to turn the valve with water connected to it... but it did have enough torque to break the little plastic gears inside the stepper motor.

The operation was a success but the patient died.

Back to the old drawing board.

ShiFu · « **Reply #57 on:** September 30, 2016, 07:46:31 AM »

It was a fun learning experience to get this far. And the failure was cheap since I didn't have to pay someone to make it for me

Prototyping has always been a bottomless money pit, until now.
With a 3D printer I can fail to my hearts' desire for pennies instead of hundreds of dollars.

Eucyblues · « **Reply #58 on:** September 30, 2016, 09:06:09 AM »

Ah me - never mind - dust yourself off and try again

I've gone the ball valve route - waiting on delivery

ketel3 · « **Reply #59 on:** September 30, 2016, 01:09:43 PM »

A this is not so nice.
Some valves are in the beginning pretty hard to work with ,use silicone spray or teflon spray to make it move more easy not onky the shaft but alsi inside the valve.
Hope you have a spare .