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Posted by RobotToaster 8 hours ago

RepRapMicron(github.com)
303 points | 46 commentspage 2
londons_explore 4 hours ago|
I wanna know why piezoelectric actuators aren't used for more of this sort of thing. They can apply a decent force over a scale of tens of micrometers easily, or hundreds with careful design, and have force feedback too.
tliltocatl 3 hours ago||
These aren't exactly RepRap-friendly. The piezo buzzers are too soft. For a proper multilayer piezo actuator you have to either go to Thorlabs (a bit expensive) or other manufacturers (either expensive or "don't bother us until you are ready to buy a few thousands"). AFAIR MLCC ceramic capacitors actually can make half-decent actuators, but not sure if these are suitable for precision position. Baking your own would be doable, but who wants to deal with lead? And once you got the chips, there is another problem: how do you couple it to a plastic flexture? "Adult" stuff uses wire-EDM-cut metal flextures. While not completely impossible to DIY, wire-EDM a whole undertaking in itself, and an expensive one.

Piezos are sure the way to go for a fab-in-a-shed youtuber, but not yet for those who want to make it reproducible by others.

Joel_Mckay 2 hours ago||
One may buy the +-0.28mm piezoelectric actuator stacks out of China for $15, but the high-voltage drivers are not amateur friendly. =3
Joel_Mckay 2 hours ago||
Some people do when building AFMs, but the piezoelectric stack voltages to get a few mm dynamic range are often around 160v to 600v.

After playing around with several options, piezoelectric was the path I chose for a sub-micron stage. It took a bit of research, but it does make things much easier when done right.

Most hobby work is kept private now... due to safety issues with people without lab-training attempting complex builds. Indeed, a few fools still die every year attempting things they saw on you-tube ("Lichtenstein burning" etc.) =3

bigbadfeline 5 hours ago||
Just for reference - another post on the same topic about the video linked by CarVac.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50140001

carterschonwald 8 hours ago||
omg, ive wanted a precision computer controlled flexure motion system for yearssssss. i may also just really love tiny tools and devices.
mlyle 7 hours ago|
So that's existed for a long time in the form of OpenFlexure. The microscope is a pretty easy / fun build.
thenthenthen 8 hours ago||
Very cool, and I understand the off the shelf parts ambition, but what are those usb microscopes used for? These are absolute garbage (but light weight).
wongarsu 7 hours ago||
Sounds like they are used for homing. For that they just need to observe a tiny spot at known distance with high resolution

To look at the output they recommend a separate regular microscope

ZiiS 8 hours ago|||
Phisics dictate they have a small depth of field but they can be absolutely incredible.
idiotsecant 8 hours ago||
To see the print? Weird comment.
MobiusHorizons 6 hours ago||
The op asked because a usb microscope is basically unsuitable for seeing something this small with much clarity. From other replies it sounds like the purpose is for automated positioning which makes more sense.
bitwize 1 hour ago||
People are still doing RepRaps? I thought everybody had pretty much settled on Bambu printers, which are to small-scale manufacturing what the MacBook Pro was to open source: the "yeah, openness and decentralization are nice and all, but I'll take proprietary if it's easy to use" option.
georgestones 8 hours ago|
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