Mon 16 May 2011
Posted by Marcin
The Open Source CNC Torch Table has achieved first fire and is now cutting parts for the open source tractor:
Open Source CNC Torch Table: First Fire from Open Source Ecology on Vimeo. Sound track is Epic 1 by Joe Post, True Fan.
This is a sample cut through 1/2″ steel. It’s remarkably smooth, prior to cleaning the slag off the edges:
Wed 11 May 2011
Posted by Marcin
The open source CNC Torch Table is now working (download Torch Table CAD file here). We aim to start cutting tractor parts with it today. We tested it first with a marker on a dry-erase board for replicability. This shows that a toolpath can be re-produced reliably. (Read the tutorial for converting CAD files to manufacturing (CAM) files here)
Open Source CNC Torch Table Shakedown from Open Source Ecology on Vimeo.
We’re getting approximately 1/32 inch repeatability for 4 passes over the same region – see photo of line detail. The first 2 passes are black, the last 2 passes are red:
The gradations on the tape measure are 1/16″.
Tue 10 May 2011
Posted by Marcin
We are adopting the Lasersaur open source laser as our Laser Cutter platform. Lasersaur succeeded in its Kickstarter offering last year, and recently, they achieved first fire. Look at the amazing precision of the cut:
We aim to collaborate on the open-sourcing of the laser tubes themselves, so we can build higher power versions for industrial metal cutting applications in the future. We welcome collaborators on this point.
Lasersaur is a great addition to the Open Source Microfactory. See more pictures of the Lasersaur build here.
Mon 9 May 2011
Posted by Marcin
Sparks are flying in the workshop, and the Torch Table is ready for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Will is producing CAD and CAM files for the Tractor, from across the ocean, so we can cut tractor parts automatically:
Sun 8 May 2011
Posted by Marcin
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a breakthrough on the Solar Turbine project. We are adopting the Solar Fire concentrator technology as our official solar energy platform. OSE and Solar Fire are entering into partnership – with a single purpose of creating a state-of-art, replicable, open source platform for solar concentrator power applied to electricity, space heating, and process heat. Prototyping done already by Solar Fire indicates that electrical production can be attained by such a system at a $0.5-$1 system materials cost per peak watt – if combined with a modern steam engine as the heat engine. This is about a factor of 10 lower than photovoltaics. See Eerik Wissenz, Solar Fire project leader, introduce the latest successful prototype of 32 square meter solar capture area:
(more…)
Sat 23 Apr 2011
Posted by Marcin
We have built the complete automatic controller for The Liberator Open Source Compressed Earth Brick (CEB) press a year ago, and have demonsttrated up to 16 brick per minute brick pressing rates. Now we move on to technological recursion of the open source CEB controller technology – by circuit milling our own control circuits with an open source CNC Circuit Mill instead of buying them off-the-shelf. (more…)
Fri 22 Apr 2011
Posted by Marcin
Last year, we didn’t use any automation in our fabrication procedures. For example, check out the LifeTrac II build. We’re moving to digital fabrication this year. Our work this year will be a test case for optimizing production – to determine whether even your grandma can build industrial-grade tractors in her garage. To do this, we need your help. Read on.
We are taking the open source tractor, now in Prototype II phase, as the first test case. To create Prototype III, the first task is to take the existing LifeTrac design – full CAD in Blender (18 inch shorter version) by Will – and export it into CAM tool path files for every component - to be cut out on our computer controller (CNC) torch table. We are using LinuxCNC as the open source control software. As we go along, we are documenting the status and needs of the open source solution for providing a robust platform for digital fabrication of economically-significant products. Our first contribution to this is the torch table, which if we develop the open source stepper motor controller, will cost $800 in parts for a 4′x8′ working area, not counting the computer and plasma cutter. (more…)
Mon 28 Mar 2011
Posted by Marcin
It has been long ago that we reported on our 3D printing adventures – see Hydraraptor’s Second Child. We are pleased to report that our copy of RepRap open source 3D printer has shown its first meaningful prints, thanks to our collaborator Peter Koeleman from the Netherlands:
Sat 19 Mar 2011
Posted by Marcin
This post in other languages: Deutsch * Español * Português
Imagine if you could build cars, industrial robots, engines, and other things in your own back yard. The only problem is, these require billions of dollars of infrastructure in the current industrial system. Not for long – if we succeed with the Open Source Micro-Factory.
We will be starting a viral Kickstarter campaign in the next week or two to make this concept a reality at a prototype development cost of about $100k. The concept is simple: open-source ~12 of the most important, high-performance machines of industrial production and automation, provide plans for all these machines, and provide plans for certain key products that can be built with these machines. This could be a serious contribution to realizing the concept of Industry 2.0 – a scenario of distributive, local production via flexible fabrication, fueled by a global repository of open source design. While such production can occur in your own back yard, our real intent is enabling the solution of creating wealth in local communities. The potential is profound – and is described best by Jane Jacobs, who claims that the highest level of evolution (like Maslow’s Pyramid) for cities – is for those cities to return to local production (import substitution).
The Micro-Factory includes the following:
In short, th
e Open Source Micro-Factory is a robust, closed-loop manufacturing system for many kinds of mechanical and electronic devices. It includes the ability to provide its own fuel, electricity, and mechanical power. (more…)
Thu 17 Mar 2011
Posted by Marcin
We’re now moving onto the next phase of GVCS development, beyond the work at Factor e Farm to a global collaboration of remote prototyping work funded by crowd sources and resource development via the nonprofit sector. We are collecting bids from global collaborators at the same time that further development and production is occurring at Factor e Farm, starting with 3 orders of the brick press – tractor – soil pulverizer. Our next steps are fabrication automation with tools like the CNC torch table for cutting parts and precision multimachine for fabricating motors and engnines, which allows people to replicate our machines from CAM files, shared globally and built locally at a fraction of the cost of closed-source counterparts.
It seems that this year will be a great step forward as the several early adopters prove the feasibility of our products. We predict that many will follow as the machines are proven in the field and as CEB houses are built.
One subject matter expert that we have recruited from Berkeley, California, is Dan Granett, who runs a design and prototyping shop. His background includes precision machining, and Dan has helped us years ago by initial design of the Tesla turbine, which was since superseded by the modern steam engine on grounds of efficiency.
Dan will be leading the precision CNC multimachine effort, which includes a mill, drill, and lathe, plus a surface grinder attachment, plus cold-cut an abrasive saws. We will add value to open design of high-performance hardware by developing low-cost, heavy-duty (2000+ lb of force), precision (1 mil) x-y-z drives based on open source dove-tails, precision acme, digital readout, and microcontroller feedback for backlash correction. Dan will be one of our first experiments in scaling the technical development of the project via remote prototyping collaboration.
