3D PRINTING TOOL FOR INDUSTRIAL ROBOT

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

ABINASH M. (312817115002)

KARTHICK G. (312817115016)

RUBIN ROUSEVELT J. (312817115020)

SUMITHRA B. (312817115027)

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

IN

MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING

AGNI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, CHENNAI

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI
MARCH 2021
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ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report titled “3D PRINTING TOOL FOR

INDUSTRIAL ROBOT” is the bonafide work of ABINASH M.

(312817115002), KARTHICK G. (312817115016). RUBIN ROUSEVELT J.

(312817115020), SUMITHRA B. (312817115027) who carried out the project

work under our supervision.

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE

Dr. J. P. JOSH KUMAR, M.Tech., Ph.D Mr. R. NANDHAKUMAR, B.E., M.Tech

ASSO. PROFESSOR & HEAD ASST. PROFESSSOR & SUPERVISOR

Department of Mechatronics Engineering Department of Mechatronics Engineering

Agni College of Technology Agni College of Technology

Thalambur, OMR Thalambur, OMR

Chennai 600 130 Chennai 600 130

Submitted to Project and Viva Voce Examination held on ____________________

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are expressing our prime gratitude to the LORD ALMIGHTY

and OUR PARENTS for giving us the confidence and strength for the
successful completion of this project. However, it would not have been possible
without the kind support and help of many individuals and organizations.

We would like to express our special gratitude and thanks to our

chairperson Mrs. Bhavani Jayaprakash for providing us with the required
facilities and support towards the completion of the project.

We deem it an honour in extending our indebtedness to our beloved

Principal Dr. S. Chandravadhana, M.E., Ph.D., for her zealous support and
for providing constructive feedback and approval of project.

We are highly indebted to pay our gratitude to our

Head of Department Dr. J.P. Josh Kumar, M.Tech., Ph.D., for his support in
completing the project.

We acknowledge and grateful thanks to our project

supervisor Mr. R. Nandhakumar, B.E., M.Tech., Assistant Professor,
Department of Mechatronics Engineering for his constant guidance, necessary
assistance, kind encouragement.

We would like to express our grateful thanks to our Faculty

members and Friends for their support and providing guidance to us.

Abinash M.
Karthick G.
Rubin Rousevelt J.
Sumithra B.
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ABSTRACT

3D printing technology plays a vital role in additive manufacturing

process like material extrusion, sheet lamination, etc. In conventional

technology, the manufacturing of large and complex elements is limited and

also it takes more time and less accurate. In order to overcome these

drawbacks, we have designed a 3D printing tool. The 3D printing tool is a

direct extruder type and it is attached to the end effector of 6 DOF Industrial

robots. The filament is feed into the hot section of the extruder and high torque

controlled by the stepper motors. The filament is melted at a preset melting

temperature. Cooling fans and heat sink are provided to avoid pre-melting of

the filament. The stepper motor and the cooling fans are controlled by 8-bit

microcontroller. The whole system is powered by switched mode power supply.

Using this 3D printing tool, we can able to manufacture the elements in small

amount of time.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.
ABSTRACT iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURES ix
LIST OF SYMBOLS, ABBREVATIONS xi

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 GENERAL 1
1.1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY 2
1.1.2 OVERVIEW OF PROJECT 3
1.1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT 3
1.1.4 OBJECTIVES 4
1.1.5 SCOPE OF PROJECT 4

2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5
2.1 INTRODUCTION 5
2.2 SYSTEM REVIEW 5
2.2.1 PAPER – 1 5
2.2.2 PAPER – 2 5
2.2.3 PAPER – 3 6
2.2.4 PAPER – 4 7
2.2.5 PAPER – 5 8
2.2.6 PAPER – 6 9
2.3 CONCLUSION 10
 vi

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.
3 PROPOSED DESIGN 11
3.1 INTRODUCTION 11
3.2 BLOCK DIAGRAM 11
3.3 WORK FLOW 12

4 HARDWARE REQUIREMENT 14
4.1 NEMA 17 STEPPER MOTOR 14
4.2 DRV8825 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER 15
4.3 ARDUINO NANO 16
4.4 THERMISTOR 18
4.5 HEATSINK 19
4.6 NOZZLE 20
4.7 CERAMIC CARTRIDGE HEATER 21
4.8 COOLING FAN 21

5 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT 23
5.1 CATIA (Version 5) 23
5.2 ARDUINO IDE (Version 1.8.13) 24

6 IMPLEMENTATION 26
6.1 DESIGN CALCULATION 26
6.2 3D DESIGN 27
6.3 ASSEMBLY 29
6.4 PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE PROJECT 30

7 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 31

8 CONCLUSION 32
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CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.
9 FUTURE SCOPE 33

APPENDIX-1 34

APPENDIX-2 36

REFERENCES 39
 viii

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE

NO.
4.1 DRV8825 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER PIN 16

DETAILS
 ix

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.

1.1 INDUSTRIAL ROBOT 1

1.2 3D PRINTER 2

3.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM 12

3.2 PROCESS FLOW 13

4.1 NEMA 17 STEPPER MOTOR 15

4.2 DRV8825 MODULE 15

4.3 ARDUINO NANO 17

4.4 THERMISTOR 18

4.5 THERMISTOR CIRCUIT DIAGRAM 19

4.6 HEAT SINK 19

4.7 NOZZLE 20

4.8 CERAMIC CARTRIDGE HEATER 21

4.9 COOLING FAN 22

5.1 CATIA WORK SPACE 24

5.2 ARDUINO IDE WORK STATION 25

6.1 STEPPER MOTOR-3D DESIGN 27

6.2 MK 8 EXTRUDER-3D DESIGN 27

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FIGURE TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.

6.3 HEAT SINK AND COOLING FAN-3D DESIGN 28

6.4 NOZZLE AND HEAT HEAD-3D DESIGN 28

6.5 TOP VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY 29

6.6 FRONT VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY 29

6.7 ISOMETRIC VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY 29

6.8 FINAL PROTOTYPE IMAGE-1 30

6.9 FINAL PROTOTYPE IMAGE-2 30

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LIST OF SYMBOLS, ABBREVATIONS

EOAT END OF ARM TOOL

CAD COMPUTER AIDED DESIGNING

2D & 3D 2-DIMENSIONAL & 3-DIMENSIONAL

FDM FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING

CNC COMPUTER NUMBERICAL CONTROL

DOF DEGREES OF FREEDOM

DC DIRECT CURRENT

DIP DUAL IN-LINE PACKAGE

IDE INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENT

USB UNIVESAL SERIAL BUS

RAM RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

AM ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

FFF FUSED FILAMENT FABRICATION

ABS ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENE STYRENE

PLA POLY LACTIC ACID

SMPS SWITCHED MODE POWER SUPPLY

NEMA NATIONAL ELECTRICAL

MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
 xii

LIST OF SYMBOLS, ABBREVATIONS

DMOS DOUBLE DIFFUSED METAL OXIDE

SEMICONDUCTOR

LED LIGHT EMITTING DIODE

IOREF INPUT OUTPUT VOLTAGE REFERENCE

NTC NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE CO-

EFFICIENT

CATIA COMPUTER AIDED THREE-

DIMENSIONAL INTERACTIVE

APPLICATION

CAM COMPUTER AIDED MANUFACTURING

CAE COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING

PLM PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT

IDE INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENT

GNU GNU'S NOT UNIX

ARVDUDE AVR DOWNLOADER UPLOADER

MK MARK
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CHAPTER – 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL

Robotics can be defined as the design, assembly, performance, and

utilization of robot systems in manufacturing. Robots in general are used to
execute hazardous, harmful, distressing or highly repetitive tasks and are,
capable of radically improving the efficiency of the industrial manufacturing
processes. Robots are utilized to carry out tasks such as transporting,
palletizing, sorting, machining, and inspecting. The Robot Institute of
America states that a robot can be interpreted as a reprogrammable,
multifunctional manipulator designed for relocation of objects or materials
through numerous programmable movements for a variety of tasks. A robot
may have certain anthropomorphic characteristics allowing for the mimicry of
human physical structure and response to sensory signals that are analogous
to human behavior. A robot’s end of arm tool (EOAT) also described as an
end-effector, is selected according to the operation of its task and the robot
manipulation specific to the part or tool. Customization of standard off-the-
shelf EOAT and robot integrators are frequently required to engage with a
distinctive shaped object, improve productivity, and optimize operations.
EOAT plays important role in the robot in which where it determines the
purpose of the robot to work like pick and place using mechanical gripper,
electrical gripper etc., and welding robot for welding a manufactured part.

FIG. 1.1 INDUSTRIAL ROBOT

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FIG. 1.2 3D PRINTER

1.1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. During
the industrial revolution, humans developed the structural and designed
engineering capability to control electricity so that machines could be
powered with small motors. In the early 20th century, the notion of
a humanoid machine was developed.

The first uses of modern robots were in factories as industrial robots.

These industrial robots were fixed machines capable of manufacturing tasks
that which allowed the production line even faster than human operated.
Digitally programmed industrial robots with artificial intelligence have been
built since the 2000s.

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-

dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. The term "3D
printing" can refer to a variety of processes in which material is deposited,
joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional
[5] object, with material being added together (such as plastics, liquids or
powder grains being fused together), typically layer by layer.

In the 1980s, 3D printing techniques were considered suitable only for

the production of functional or aesthetic prototypes, and a more appropriate
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term for it at the time was rapid prototyping. As of 2019, the precision,
repeatability, and material range of 3D printing have increased to the point
that some 3D printing processes are considered viable as an industrial-
production technology, whereby the term additive manufacturing can be used
synonymously with 3D printing. One of the key advantages of 3D printing is
the ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries that would be
otherwise impossible to construct by hand, including hollow parts or parts
with internal truss structures to reduce weight. Fused deposition
modeling (FDM), which can be used as a continuous filament of
a thermoplastic material, is the most common 3D printing process [1].

1.1.2 OVERVIEW OF PROJECT

In various sectors, 3D printing has been used. 3D printing has been

found to be useful in sectors such as manufacturing, industrial design,
jeweler, footwear, architecture, engineering and construction, automotive,
aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information
systems, civil engineering, and many others. It has been found to be a fast and
cost-effective solution in whichever field of use.

1.1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

A miniature object at a low-quality setting and low infill can be printed

in less than 10 minutes, while a larger, complex, high-quality object with high
infill can take hours to several days.

It depends on how much filament is used. Small flat key chains may
take 10-20 minutes. Large objects can take hours. Most printers would take
5+ hours to print an object at the maximum size of the print bed. Parts are
generally not as dense as parts made by CNC and other processes. Printers are
not large enough and fast enough.
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1.1.4 OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this project is to design and develop an end effector for
industrial robot that is used for manufacture various 3D parts. By taking
advantage of the design flexibility afforded by 3D printing,
engineers can bring even the most challenging ideas to life. 3D printing is a
technology that can produce shapes and features unachievable with
conventional manufacturing methods.

Now a days, making a complex structure is essential for the

requirement, complex shapes require higher Degree of Freedom (DOF) so by
using the Industrial Robots whose have higher Degree of Freedom can
provide higher complex structure and more possibility of different structure in
small amount of time.

1.1.5 SCOPE OF PROJECT

In this project, we will focus on the following procedures:

 Designing 3D printing tool.

 Modify the End effector of Industrial robot.
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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

3D printing has been found to be useful in sectors such as

manufacturing, industrial design, jeweler, footwear, architecture, engineering
and construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries,
education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and many
others. It has been found to be a fast and cost-effective solution in whichever
field of use.

2.2 SYSTEM REVIEW

2.2.1 PAPER – 1

Andi Dine, et al., [2019] [2] A prototype Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
head is reported on, attached to an industrial robot, in this case 6-axis arm
with high repeatability, to form a robotic 3D printer. The detailed design is
presented including theoretical calculations regarding pressure drop in the
nozzle. Selection of the off-the-shelf electronic components and their inter-
connection are also covered together with the implementation for
synchronizing the robot and the head’s extruder. Programming of the 3D
printer paths, for the time being, pertains to teaching the pertinent points to
the robot via the pendant, to form a layer and repeating through programming
structures to form the complete object. A number of printed shell artefacts are
presented with accuracy assessment, which was deemed totally acceptable.

2.2.2 PAPER – 2

Anjali Raghavan, et al., [2017] [3] This project introduces of the

implementation of a low-cost 3D printing Robotic Arm.
 6

Industrial Robotic Arms made up of several joints and actuated by motors are
generally used in industrial field for lifting and manufacturing purposes. 3D
printers are machines used for converting digital 3D model into physical 3D
object. 3D object can be built by using Additive Manufacturing process. In
AM process successive layers of material are laid one upon another and the
process repeats until the final object is obtained. The additive process used in
this project is Fused Filament Fabrication. By using this method, it is able to
print object more accurately and smoothly. FFF model uses thermoplastic
filament that is wound on a coil and unreeled to supply material through cold
end of an extrusion nozzle, which turns the flow on and off. The hot end of
the extruder melts the material and can be moved in both horizontal and
vertical directions. Both the movement of robotic arm and extruder is directed
by a numerically controlled mechanism that is directly controlled by a
computer-aided manufacturing software package. The model or part is
produced by successively layering the thermoplastic material that is extruded
from the nozzle. Movement of extruder is controlled by stepper motor. By
combining industrial Robotic arm with 3D printing technology, it is capable
for increasing range of operation and it is comparatively more flexible than
commercially available desktop 3D printers.

2.2.3 PAPER – 3

Sorin Cristian, et al., [2019] [7] The purpose of the paper is to design an
extruder to ensure continuous flow of material and retraction of the melted
material into the extruder of the printers operating with pellets ABS, PLA or
other materials used. The way in which 3D printers work differs from that of
plastic injection machines by the fact that for the execution of a piece it is
necessary for the extruder to position itself at different points of the surface
without depositing the material. If it does not stop the flow of material during
the repositioning move, then the executed piece will be compromised.
 7

Designed pieces were designed with the help of the Inventor Software and it
was determined experimentally whether the extruder is working. It was found
that the original design did not fully meet the requirements of the coat-coat
process, which is why rethinking of the extruder's operation and
modifications to ensure retraction of the material is necessary.

2.2.4 PAPER – 4

Souhail Elhouar, et al., [2019] [8] One of the difficulties hindering the
application of 3D printing technology in construction is related to the
versatility of materials and components used to produce a building or other
structure. The prospect of using this technology is further complicated by the
sheer size of the edifices to be constructed. While 3D printing a mechanical
component can now be done in someone’s basement with affordable and
readily available equipment, applying the same technology to produce large
structures and building components is a challenge. In recent years, researchers
have been working towards overcoming this challenge by trying to develop
new construction materials and methods that would be more suitable for the
application of 3D printing technology. One of the approaches that can be
considered is the combination of robotics technology with 3D printing to
automate construction activities. The use of robots in construction has been
proposed long before 3D printing became possible or known but never gained
widespread construction site usage, mainly because of the difficulty
associated with the automation of most construction tasks. However, the
combination of 3D printing with robotics may be the way to change that. In
this paper, the authors examine the suitability of 3D printing in a number of
construction tasks and present ideas that modify established construction
methods to make them more suitable for automation.
 8

The authors then examine how the introduction of robotics in conjunction

with 3D printing to the construction site may make it possible to automate a
number of construction tasks. Some of the benefits of such automation
include lower safety risks, improved control over construction schedules,
more economical construction, and a better ability to build in remote areas
and challenging environments.

2.2.5 PAPER – 5

Steven Keating, et al., [2013] [9] Supporting various applications of digital

fabrication and manufacturing, the industrial robot is typically assigned
repetitive tasks for specific pre-programmed and singular applications. We
propose a novel approach for robotic fabrication and manufacturing entitled
Compound Fabrication, supporting multi-functional and multi-material
processes. This approach combines the major manufacturing technologies
including additive, formative and subtractive fabrication, as well as their
parallel integration. A 6-axis robotic arm, repurposed as an integrated 3D
printing, milling and sculpting platform, enables shifting between fabrication
modes and across scales using different end effectors. Promoting an
integrated approach to robotic fabrication, novel combination processes are
demonstrated including 3D printing and milling fabrication composites. In
addition, novel robotic fabrication processes are developed and evaluated,
such as multi-axis plastic 3D printing, direct recycling 3D printing, and
embedded printing. The benefits and limitations of the Compound Fabrication
approach and its experimental platform are reviewed and discussed. Finally,
contemplation regarding the future of multi-functional robotic fabrication is
offered, in the context of the experiments reviewed and demonstrated in this
paper.
 9

2.2.6 PAPER – 6

Vinod G. Gokhare, et al., [2017] [10] This is a research paper on 3D printing

and the various materials used in 3D printing and their properties which
become a notable topic in technological aspects. First, define what is meant
by 3D printing and what is significant of 3D printing. We will go into the
history of 3D printing and study about the process of 3D printing and what
materials used in the manufacture of 3D printed objects and select the best
materials among them which are suitable for our 3D printing machine. Also,
see the advantages of 3D printing as compared to additive manufacturing.

Nowadays, rapid prototyping has a wide range of applications in various

fields of human activity: research, engineering, medical industry, military,
construction, architecture, fashion, education, the computer industry and
many others. In 1990, the plastic extrusion technology most widely associated
with the term "3D printing" was invented by Stratasys by name fused
deposition modeling (FDM). After the start of the 21st century, there has been
a large growth in the sales of 3D printing machines and their price has been
dropped gradually. By the early 2010s, the terms 3D printing and additive
manufacturing evolved senses in which they were alternate umbrella terms for
AM technologies, one being used in popular vernacular by consumer - maker
communities and the media, and the other used officially by industrial AM
end use part producers, AM machine manufacturers, and global technical
standards organizations. Both terms reflect the simple fact that the
technologies all share the common theme of sequential-layer material
addition/joining throughout a 3D work envelope under automated control.
Other terms that had been used as AM synonyms included desktop
manufacturing, rapid manufacturing, and agile tooling on-demand
manufacturing.
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The 2010s were the first decade in which metal end use parts such as engine
brackets and large nuts would be grown (either before or instead of
machining) in job production rather than obligatory being machined from bar
stock or plate.

2.3 CONCLUSION

From above mentioned literature, we can conclude that designing a 3D

printing tool as an end effector for an Industrial robot and chose a filament for
the required job and most suitable and low cost is Fused Deposition Modeling
in additive manufacturing other than that type, like Pressure Assisted Micro-
syringes will costlier and require high maintenance, so FDM is suitable and
we can manufacture the elements in a less time which have high accuracy.
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CHAPTER 3

PROPOSED DESIGN

3.1 INTRODUCTION

The filament spool is fitted to the robot, the Stepper motor tends to
feed the filament to heated printer head by pulling it from filament spool. In
the heated printer head, it consists of thermistor and heater.

Heated printer head provides the heating temperature, whereas thermistor

tends to collect surrounding temperature in order to maintain the temperature
of the filament.

After melting, the filament will come from the nozzle or pushed by the
stepper motor. Then the robot will move according to the element or part we
require.

3.2 BLOCK DIAGRAM

The below block diagram represents the connection and data transfer.
The Arduino Nano is the brain of the 3D printing tool, it will control the
stepper motor and helps to maintain temperature. The whole process,
the power supplied by Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS).

Arduino Nano requires 5V supply, so 5V regulator is used and relay

switch is used to control the Induction heater i.e., cartridge heater. The
stepper motor runs when the signal from the computer gives high to
Arduino Nano, then the motor will start to run otherwise it will be low.
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FIG. 3.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM

3.3 WORK FLOW

The work flow describes about the working of whole process. The
filament passing through the feeding mechanism which is nothing but
the stepper motor which tends to pull the filament and feeds to print
head.

In print head, it will lead to heating chamber which is also know

heated printer head and here where the filament is heated and melted
according the temperature range.

Then it flows through the extrusion nozzle and according to the size
of the outlet the flow rate varies and continuous flow of filament and
movement of industrial robot gives the required object.
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FIG. 3.2 PROCESS FLOW

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CHAPTER 4

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

4.1 NEMA 17 STEPPER MOTOR

Stepper motor provides step by step pulling or pushing which leads to

better controllability. NEMA 17 is a common size used in 3D printers and
smaller CNC mills. Smaller motors find applications in many robotic and
animatronic applications. The larger NEMA frames are common in CNC
machines and industrial applications. The NEMA numbers define standard
faceplate dimensions for mounting the motor.

This NEMA 17-size hybrid stepping motor can be used as a unipolar or

bipolar stepper motor and has a 1.8-degree step angle (200 steps/revolution).
There are two basic winding arrangements for the electromagnetic coils in a
two-phase stepper motor, one being bipolar and the other unipolar. The
unipolar stepper motor operates with one winding with a center tap per phase.
Each section of the winding is switched on for each direction of the pulse
supplied.

The following specifications for NEMA 17 stepper motor are,

 Step moment angle: 1.8 ° Current: 0.84 A

 Resistance: 5.75 Ohm Inductance: 9.3mH

 Shaft diameter: 5 mm

 Motor weight: 300 g, Body length: 34 mm

 Rated power: 200 (W)

 Rated voltage: 7-24 (V)

 Rated current: 1.7 (A)

 Rated speed: 0-900 (rpm)

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 Rated torque: 3.2 (Kg-cm)

 Dimensions: 42*42*34 mm

FIG. 4.1 NEMA 17 STEPPER MOTOR

4.2 DRV8825 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER

This Driver has perfectly suitable for the NEMA 17 Stepper motor because
it has high voltage and high current which is required for the stepper motor.
A Stepper Motor Driver is the driver circuit that enables the stepper motor to
function the way it does. For example, stepper motors require sufficient and
controlled energy for phases in a precise sequence. Due to this, stepper
motors are considered more advanced than the typical DC motor.

This product is a carrier board or breakout board for Allegro’s DRV8825

DMOS Micro-Stepping Driver with Translator and Overcurrent Protection;
This stepper motor driver lets you control one bipolar stepper motor at up to 2
A output current per coil.

FIG. 4.2 DRV8825 MODULE

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PIN DESCRIPTION

ENABLE It enables and disable the circuit by high or low

MS0, MS1, MS2 Microstep Selection Pins

RESET It resets all the function and return to initial state

SLEEP Pins for Controlling Power States

STEP Steps Control Pin

DIR Motor Direction Control pin

VDD & GND Connected to 5V and GND of Controller

FAULT For over-current protection or thermal shutdown.

1B,1A,2A,2B Connected to the 4 coils of motor

VMOT & GND Used to power the motor

TABLE NO. 4.1 DRV8825 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER PIN DETAILS

4.3 ARDUINO NANO

LED: There is a built-in LED driven by digital pin 13. When the pin is
HIGH value, the LED is on, when the pin is LOW, it's off.

VIN: The input voltage to the Arduino/Genuino board when it's using an
external power source. You can supply voltage through this pin, or, if
supplying voltage via the power jack, access it through this pin.

5V: This pin outputs a regulated 5V from the regulator on the board. The
board can be supplied with power either from the DC power jack (7 - 20V),
the USB connector (5V), or the V IN pin of the board (7-20V). Supplying
voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses the regulator, and can damage the
board.
 17

GND: Ground pins.

IOREF: This pin on the Arduino/Genuino board provides the voltage

reference with which the microcontroller operates. A properly configured
shield can read the IOREF pin voltage and select the appropriate power
source or enable voltage translators on the outputs to work with the 5V or 3V.

RESET: Typically used to add a reset button to shields which block the one
on the board.

Each of the 14 digital pins and 6 Analog pins on the Nano can be used as an
input or output, using pin Mode(), digital Write(), and digital Read ()
functions. They operate at 5 volts. Each pin can provide or receive 20 mA as
recommended operating condition and has an internal pull-up resistor
(disconnected by default) of 20-50k ohm. A maximum of 40mA is the value
that must not be exceeded on any I/O pin to avoid permanent damage to the
microcontroller. The Nano has 6 analog inputs, labeled A0 through A5, each
of which provide 10 bits of resolution (i.e., 1024 different values). By default,
they measure from ground to 5 volts, though is it possible to change the upper
end of their range using the AREF pin and the analog Reference () function.

FIG. 4.3 ARDUINO NANO

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4.4 THERMISTOR

The temperature range for the operation is 190 to 250°C based on the
filament varieties. Based on the factor of temperature range (-50 to 250 °C),
accuracy (0.05 to 1.5 °C), response time (Fast: 0.12 to 10 s). Thermistor is
suitable for this project.

A thermistor is a resistance thermometer, or a resistor whose resistance is

dependent on temperature. The term is a combination of ‘thermal’ and
‘resistor’. It is made of metallic oxides, pressed into a bead, disk, or
cylindrical shape and then encapsulated with an impermeable material such as
epoxy or glass.

NTC thermistors, resistance decreases as temperature rises usually due to

an increase in conduction electrons bumped up by thermal agitation from
valence band. An NTC is commonly used as a temperature sensor, or in series
with a circuit as an inrush current limiter.

The following specifications for thermistor are,

 Resistance at 25 degrees C: 10K ± 1%

 B-value (material constant) = 3950 ± 1%

 Thermal cooling time constant ≤ (in air) 20 seconds

 Thermistor temperature range -55 to 250℃.

FIG. 4.4 THERMISTOR

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FIG. 4.5 THERMISTOR CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

4.5 HEAT SINK

Aluminum is lightweight easy to manufacture and cost effective, making it

an ideal choice for most heat sinks.

A heat sink is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by
an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid
coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, thereby allowing
regulation of the device's temperature.

The following specifications for heat sink are,

 Dimensions: 40 x 40 x 11 mm

 Mounting Hole spacing: 31 mm

 Colour: Black

 Weight: 17g
 Material: Aluminium

FIG. 4.6 HEAT SINK

 20

4.6 NOZZLE

A nozzle is often a pipe or tube of varying cross-sectional area, and it can

be used to direct or modify the flow of a fluid. Nozzles are frequently used to
control the rate of flow, speed, direction, mass, shape, and/or the pressure of
the stream that emerges from them.

A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a

fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe. A nozzle is often a pipe or
tube of varying cross-sectional area, and it can be used to direct or modify the
flow of a fluid.

Here nozzle material is brass so the temperature range is around 940℃ and
the temperature range for this operation is 190 to 250°C based on the filament
varieties and brass also have higher thermal co-efficient 18.7 10-6 m/(m K) so
that heating of brass is faster.

The following specifications for NEMA 17 stepper motor are,

 Nozzle outlet size: 0.4mm

 Material: Brass

 Temperature Range: 900 to 940℃

FIG. 4.7 NOZZLE

 21

4.7 CERAMIC CARTRIDGE HEATER

 12v 40W Ceramic Cartridge provide an excellent uniform distribution

of heat.

 Cartridge heaters consist of a cylindrical stainless-steel tube 6mm

diameter 20mm and heating coil insulated inside the tube using
ceramic.

 Wires are silicone / Teflon insulated (1-meter length) withstands high

temperature heat.

 Rated voltage:12V

 Rated power:40W

FIG. 4.8 CERAMIC CARTRIDGE HEATER

4.8 COOLING FAN

 Cooling fans are provided to prevent the filament from melting before
it reaches the melting section.

 It acts an active cooling to the system which means the heat wave is
forced to move away from the system. The according to the stepper
motor dimensions the cooling fans and heat sink are selected for our
project.

 Dimensions: 40x40x11mm
 22

 Connector: 2 pins

 Rated voltage: 12v

 Weight: 14g

FIG. 4.9 COOLING FAN

 23

CHAPTER 5

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

5.1 CATIA (VERSION 5)

CATIA (computer-aided three-dimensional interactive application) is a

multi-platform software suite for Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer
Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Product
Lifecycle Management (PLM) and 3D, developed by the French company
Dassault Systems.

Since it supports multiple stages of product development from

conceptualization, design and engineering to manufacturing, it is considered
a CAx -software and is sometimes referred to as a 3D Product Lifecycle
Management software suite.

Like most of its competition it facilitates collaborative engineering

through an integrated cloud service and have support to be used across
disciplines including surfacing & shape design, electrical, fluid and electronic
systems design, mechanical engineering and systems engineering.

Besides being used in a wide range of industries from aerospace and

defense to packaging design, CATIA has been used by architect Frank
Gehry to design some of his signum curvilinear buildings and his
company Gehry Technologies was developing their Digital Project software
based on CATIA [6].
 24

FIG. 5.1 CATIA WORK SPACE

5.2 ARDUINO IDE (VERSION 1.8.13)

The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a cross-

platform application that is written in functions from C and C++. It is used to
write and upload programs to Arduino compatible boards, but also, with the
help of third-party cores, other vendor development boards.

The source code for the IDE is released under the GNU General Public
License, version 2. The Arduino IDE supports the languages C and C++ using
special rules of code structuring. The Arduino IDE supplies a software
library from the Wiring project, which provides many common input and
output procedures. User-written code only requires two basic functions, for
starting the sketch and the main program loop, that are compiled and linked
with a program stub main() into an executable cyclic executive program with
the GNU toolchain, also included with the IDE distribution.
 25

The Arduino IDE employs the program AVRDUDE to convert the

executable code into a text file in hexadecimal encoding that is loaded into the
Arduino board by a loader program in the board's firmware. By default,
AVRDUDE is used as the uploading tool to flash the user code onto official
Arduino boards.

Arduino IDE is a derivative of the Processing IDE [4], however as of

version 2.0, the Processing IDE will be replaced with the Visual Studio Code-
based Eclipse Theia IDE framework

With the rising popularity of Arduino as a software platform, other

vendors started to implement custom open-source compilers and tools (cores)
that can build and upload sketches to other microcontrollers that are not
supported by Arduino's official line of microcontrollers. In October 2019
the Arduino organization began providing early access to a new Arduino Pro
IDE with debugging and other advanced features.

FIG. 5.2 ARDUINO IDE WORK STATION

 26

CHAPTER 6

IMPLEMENTATION

6.1 DESIGN CALCULATION

Let’s assume the filament PLA,

Density of PLA = 1.24 g/cm3

Outer diameter of the roll = 3 cm

Inner diameter of the roll = 0.5 cm

Volume of the roll = π x (d22 – d12) x h

= 3.14 x (32 – 0.52) x 8

= 219 cm3

= 0.000219 m3

Mass of the roll = Volume x Density

= 0.000219 x 1.24

= 0.272 kg

Torque required = Mass x radius

= 0.272 x 3

= 0.8412 kg-cm

Therefore, the required Torque is 0.8412 kg-cm and in this range the NEMA
17 stepper motor is suitable.
 27

6.2 3D DESIGN

FIG. 6.1 STEPPER MOTOR-3D DESIGN

The stepper motor is used for precise positioning with a motor, such as
hard disk drives, robotics, antennas, telescopes, and some toys. Stepper
motors cannot run at high speeds, but have a high holding torque.

FIG. 6.2 MK 8 EXTRUDER-3D DESIGN

MK8 was the all-new dual extruder hot end setup on the MakerBot
Replicator. The cooling bar was thicker than the MK7 but the same all metal
thermal barrier and supposedly, the MK8 has slightly different nozzle
geometry internally and externally.
 28

FIG. 6.3 HEAT SINK AND COOLING FAN-3D DESIGN

The fan moves cool air across the heat sink, pushing hot air away from the
system.

FIG. 6.4 NOZZLE AND HEAT HEAD-3D DESIGN

A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a

fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe. The heat head consists of
temperature sensor i.e., thermistor and induction heater.
 29

6.3 ASSEMBLY

FIG. 6.5 TOP VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY

FIG. 6.6 FRONT VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY

FIG. 6.7 ISOMETRIC VIEW-3D ASSEMBLY

 30

6.4 PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE PROJECT

FIG. 6.8 FINAL PROTOTYPE IMAGE-1

FIG. 6.9 FINAL PROTOTYPE IMAGE-2

 31

CHAPTER 7

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Here we are exploring the possibilities of integrating 3D printing

technology with Industrial Robot is used for the manufacturing of complex
elements in small amount of time.

Successfully designed and prototype of the 3D printing tool or end effector

for the Industrial robot is working is designed and stepper motor feeds the
filament in rated time by step turning angle in given time period.

The printing material used here is PLA It is an environmentally friendly

material that is very safe to use, as it is a biodegradable thermoplastic that has
been derived from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar canes.
So, it is not a harmful for nature and it generates only negligible waste. And it
is easy to use, no skilled person is needed. material, PLA is probably the
easiest material to work with when you first start 3D printing.
 32

CHAPTER 8

CONCLUSION

Thus, for the good operation of the extruder should be ensured in

continuous flow of melted material and a robot used in this work, could be
perfectly used for moving a 3D printing tool. The acceleration of robot and
amount of feed in extruder are taken in account, so that manufacturing part
will have smooth finish and no defects.

3D Printing technology could change the world and advancing in 3D

printing technology can significantly change and improve the way we
manufacture products and produce goods worldwide. An object is scanned or
designed with CAD software, then sliced up into thin layers, which can then
be printed out to form a solid 3D product. It will provide companies and
individuals a fast and easy manufacturing in any size or scale limited only by
their imagination. 3D printing, can enable fast, reliable, and repeatable means
of producing professional products which can still be made inexpensively due
to automation of processes and distribution of manufacturing needs.
 33

CHAPTER 9

FUTURE SCOPE

Here, there is more room for upgrade this project. The next step is, by
rotating the 3D printing tool or end effector, so we can able to achieve even
more faster and reduced defects of elements.

By using various temperature range in the Arduino Nano, we can able to

use different types of filaments for 3D printing.
 34

APPENDIX-1

There are six types of industrial robots,

 Articulated robots

It is the most common industrial robots. They look like a human arm,
which is why they are also called robotic arm or manipulator arm. Their
articulations with several degrees of freedom allow the articulated arms a
wide range of movements.

 Cartesian coordinate robots

It is also called rectilinear, gantry robots, and x-y-z robots have

three prismatic joints for the movement of the tool and three rotary joints for
its orientation in space.

To be able to move and orient the effector organ in all directions, such a
robot needs 6 axes. In a 2-dimensional environment, three axes are sufficient,
two for displacement and one for orientation.

 Cylindrical coordinate robots

These are characterized by their rotary joint at the base and at least one
prismatic joint connecting its links. They can move vertically and
horizontally by sliding. The compact effector design allows the robot to reach
tight workspaces without any loss of speed.

 Spherical coordinate robots

It only have rotary joints. They are one of the first robots to have been
used in industrial applications. They are commonly used for machine
tending in die-casting, plastic injection and extrusion, and for welding.
 35

 SCARA robots

SCARA is an acronym for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot

Arm. SCARA robots are recognized by their two parallel joints which provide
movement in the X-Y plane. Rotating shafts are positioned vertically at the
effector. These are used for jobs that require precise lateral movements. They
are ideal for assembly applications.

 Delta robots

It is also referred to as parallel link robots. They consist of parallel links

connected to a common base. Delta robots are particularly useful for direct
control tasks and high maneuvering operations (such as quick pick-and-place
tasks). Delta robots take advantage of four bar or parallelogram linkage
systems.
 36

APPENDIX-2

//Define stepper motor connections and steps per revolution:

int dirPin=3;

int stepPin=2;

int stepsPerRevolution=200;

int heater=12;

int motor_signal=6;

int flag = 0;

int sensor_reading;

void setup() {

// Declare pins as output:

pinMode(stepPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(dirPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(heater, OUTPUT);

pinMode(13, OUTPUT);

pinMode(9, INPUT);

pinMode(motor_signal, INPUT);

Serial.begin(9600);

}
 37

void loop() {

sensor_reading = analogRead(A4);

Serial.println(sensor_reading);

if(sensor_reading < 800){

digitalWrite(heater,HIGH);

digitalWrite(13,HIGH);

else{

digitalWrite(heater,LOW);

digitalWrite(13,LOW);

if(digitalRead(motor_signal) == HIGH){

digitalWrite(dirPin, HIGH);

digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);

delay(20);

digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);

delay(20);

flag = 1;
 38

else{

if(flag == 1){

digitalWrite(dirPin, LOW);

digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);

delay(20);

digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);

delay(20);

flag = 0;

if(digitalRead(9) == HIGH)

digitalWrite(dirPin, LOW);

digitalWrite(stepPin, HIGH);

delay(20);

digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);

delay(20);

}
 39

REFERENCES

[1] Alexandru Pirjan, Dana-Mihaela Petrosanu, “The Impact of 3D Printing

Technology on the society and economy”, Journal of Information Systems
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[2] Andi Dine, George-Christopher Vosniakos. (2019), ‘On the development

of a robot-operated 3D-printer’, Creative Construction Conference 2019,
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[3] Anjali Raghavan, Neethu P.P, Dr. AjiJoy. (2017), ‘3D Printing Robotic
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[4] Enrique Ramos (January 2012). Arduino and Kinect Projects. pp. 35–
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[5] Excell, Jon (23 May 2010). "The rise of additive manufacturing". The
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[6] Gehry Technologies, ‘Digital Project’. Archived from the original on

2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-03-07.

[7] Sorin Cristian ALBU, Emil NUTIU. (2019), ‘Study on designing the
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[8] Souhail Elhouar, PhD., Pea., M. Ammar Alzarrad, PhD., Samar Elhouar.
(2019), ‘A Synopsis Of 3D Printing and Robotics Applications in
 40

Construction’, Journal of Medical Research and Innovation Volume 3,

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[9] Steven Keating and Neri Oxman. (2013), ‘Compound Fabrication: A

Multi-Functional Robotic Platform for Digital Design and Fabrication’,
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[10] Vinod G. Gokhare, DR. D. N. Raut, DR. D. K. Shinde. (2017), ‘A review

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