BigDelta WASP experiments new materials in Barcelona
An intense week full of print tests at Constumat event, hosted by IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) in Barcelona was the circumstance to experiment different materials and mixtures with our BigDelta.
The continuous research on materials is the key for the uninterrupted implementation and improvement of our printers: a modified version of our cochlea extruder with rotating nozzle permits a better deposition of fibers, which can be present in an higher percentage in the mixture.
Thanks to the new version of the extruder we printed a chair made of wood paste, by using a mixture made of liquid glue, flour and sawdust.
A local craftman provided us with a recycled material fiber that he uses in his works, we printed it with a concrete paste.
Another live experimentation was the one we made with mushrooms mycelium: we extruded a support to make it grow. Mycelium is the focus of many green building projects, this 100% compostable material is an ecceptional insulating and it is more resistant than concrete. It can be used, just like in our case, to reinforce the structure, in which it forks.
We thank IAAC for having involved us and all the people who collaborated with us in these days, during the live exsperimentation and the operative research.
Gràcies!
PRINTING SEED FOR A GREEN HOME
WASP at MADEexpo: 3D Printing
for fully sustainable housing
From March 18th to the 21st WASP will be at the MADEexpo exhibit in Milan. This is not the first housing fair the Italian group is attending but it is the first where the BigDelta- the 4 meters tall house 3D printer, prototype of the upcoming 12 meter tall final version will use the new extruder with a rotating nozzle to print using several different cement mixtures. WASP’s goal remains that of 3D printing a fully sustainable house, and more surprising news are on the way.
The contribution that 3D technology can offer the construction sector is significant, starting from small complements such as fountains or capitals all the way to the manufacturing of complete inhabitable structures, which would reduce production times and costs.
The WASPteam green inspiration has been a common thread since the very start and Massimo Moretti, the project’s founder, emphasizes the risk of the abuse of 3D printing in construction work: “3D printing is a technology that offers several advantages. Implementing it with old and polluting materials such as traditional cement could lead to an exponential degeneration: tens of houses could be built in just one day and the potential of 3D printing could be exploited for speculative ends. We need to pay very close attention to the kind of research we want to take forward.”
WASP is not looking for a compromise. The project of 3D printing a house using clay material remains the main focus of its experimentation: the final objective of which is a healthy approach to house manufacturing, using only materials available on location, at minimal costs and without residue once it is disposed of.
The most potentially revolutionary innovation is currently being studied to assure that the clay does not shrink as it dries and it involves the use of seeds from certain weeds mixed in with the 3D printable material. The seeds are intended to absorb the clay’s humidity, to then grow and develop their roots into a sort of fully natural embedded “armor”. The habitative structure will thus become a sustainable habitat. The use of the seeds will offer a practical solution to the issue of clay shrinking: the reinforcements produced by the roots will set the material in a more permanent way, thus allowing for it to fully dry without altering its.
At WASP we are experimenting with certain types of plants such as the Bermuda grass, one of the most infesting plant types known to man. The exact type of botanical variety will be selected according to the type of territory and climate, because WASP’s research does, quite literally, take place “on the field”. This idea of “armoring the houses from the inside” using roots, is certainly as innovative as it is imaginative: it will require a long and intense work from the team of botanical, architectural and 3D printing experts that have already began developing the first concepts.
First successful attempts made by di +LAB
photo by +LAB
With the new extruder WASP can truly realize the house dream
Animals teach us that every wasted energy must be recover getting food, getting what they need. The innovation of our research toward 12 meters tall WASP BigDelta, toward the printer for clay houses, is inspired to this concept. In the end the solution we were loking for was in our name, in nature, in potter wasp.
Compared with the one we presented at Maker Faire in Rome on 2014, the distinctive and decisive element that characterizes the evolution of the one we have now is the new extruder. Movements control is crucial in 3D print, but it was very difficult with the old peristaltic pump-extruder. That’s why we completely redesigned adoting a cochlea concept. Now we have an extruder wich can even manage retraction, so it can stop working and pull extruded material back.
In a few words, we moved from a continuous extrusion to a precise flow control,and to the chance of stopping the work and resume it with a micrometric precision. The new extruder can be assembled and disassembled very quickly, it cleans by itself, it needs a very low energy amount and it has a costant control at all the speed levels. Moreover, thanks to rotating nozzle, the material isn’t only extruded but also mixed in his way out. In this was layers are more cohesive and tenacious.
If we look back and think to the way we walked through, the biggest obstacle for the twelve meters tall printer was the extruder. We had to understand not only how to extrude, but also how to refill materials and keep the system operative. It has been a continuous research and we tried many solutions. In the end we went back to the potter wasp, which takes material by her self when she finishes it. With the same system, our printer reduces at minum the amount of energy that it needs. Now we can easily print and do other things instead of refilling material. The save of energy is evident: to push the clay in the tubes it takes several kilowatt, to let clay fall in a controlled way it takes just a few tens of watt.
All these devices are contained in our extruder and characterize the printer. These technical solutions are ready to be repeated in a bigger scale. Now we can say that we created a printer which produces big objects without any waste of energy, and we think this can be a real revolution, not just for the constuction field. We can print not only houses but also animal refuges, pensile gardens. The approach has completely changed, and the main foucs is energy.
What others advantages will grow out of the rotating extruder? We still don’t know. We needed this kind of system to mix material and keep clean the nozzle. From that need we started to arrive at the final result. The force of this technology compared to the ones we tried is that is a continuous supply system, it feeds itself while the printer is working.
Who saw in these years the various technological passages of the machine can understand the greatness of this revolution. Even the only extruder could have important results in the building field. It’s a sort of controlled operation cement mixer. More applications are, as usual, to be discovered yet. In our world it often happens the passage from one kind of technology to another. There is no need to be dogmatic, humilty is very usefull to understand what is the right solution, we must be ready to change our path everyday, or even throw away what we’ve done.
Many people ask us when we’re going to built the first house. Now we have all the conditions and premises to the crucial jump. We think we have played our role, we projected (and in a few time we will build) a printer to erect houses. There are the right conditions. Then, other factors will enter the game, we need other subjects: institutions, municipalities, territories. Sardinia Research (Sardegna Ricerche, is a local institution) and Iglesias municipality are interested in the project. For sure it will be a team work. Others équipes will print houses, we will keep our research to emprove the system. This is our extraordinary, charming and challenging “conviction”.
In the picture BigDelta WASP is printing an object designed by ArtificioDigitale at 3D Print Hub in Milan.
Delta WASP 2040 become TURBO
OUR JOURNEY TO THE DELTA TURBO
While we were projecting and building the BigDelta printer, we bumped in a huge problem that we never met before: the control board (Arduino Mega) didn’t afford the amount of data that are necessary to move the motor’s axes.
It seems impossible that a processor which controls 16 logical states, with a calculation speed of 16 millions cycles per second, for a total of 256 millions operations, can’t control the mechanical part.
Paying more attention, however, a Delta printer executes 200 square roots per millimeter for each axe (and we have three axes, plus the extruder). We noticed that Delta configuration needs a huge amount of data to work, and it was for this reason that our BigDelta, several meters tall, was printing jerky and the display update was late.
We were blocked in this situation and we needed to push hour research out of open source world, to sail in a see where nobody did.
In fact in open source you can’t find more powerful boards: who developed one doesn’t share it. Many people make full use of shared knowledge but very few of them share innovation.
WASP incudes Dennis Patella between his coworkers. Dennis is a real innovator, he disassembled Marlin program and ricomposed it for our purpose. The mission seemed to be impossible, just like the ones we like more: a RISC processor with 32 bit and 82 millions operations per second, for a total amount of 2624 millions operations per second can do what ten old processors do.
The work is hard: this processors need a three volt source to avoid overheating and energy wastefullness. So motor’s drivers need to be resized just like the mosfet of peripheral’s control and the marks of analogical-digital “comparatori”.
When play becomes hard a Wasper neves steps back, on the contrary, in these situations he shows the best part of him. Therefore Dennis, Roberto and Massimo redesigned the board and assembled it on a Delta 20 40.
As it happened for Resurrection System, we tried to solve some Big Delta’s issues and we found new solutions to emprove our small size solid printers. DeltaWASP 20 40, strong and resistant as it is, was fitting the new board’s calculation power, leaving everybody astonished.
What was happening was a real fight between electronics and mechanical: speed was increasing and acceleration was growing of 150%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%... from the 3000 mm/s² we were used to, to 5000, 10,000, 20,000 mm/s².
DeltaWASP 20 40 manages several millions data per seconds, executing them completely. It seemed like it was going to fly.
The green rubber bands which distinguish our suspended extruder (Creative Commons protected) and the whole Delta’s features make this kind of results possible. Movement speed up to 1000 mm/s and acceleration up to 20,000 mm/s².
The enthusiasm was at the top when we understood we were in front of one of the fastest printer in the world. pheraps the fastest.
PRESS RELEASE DELTAWASP BECOME TURBO At the 3D Print Hub in Milano, WASP will present the DeltaWASP 20 40 Turbo version. The printer was already one of the fastest in the market and now is the first that reaches 1000 mm/s. The group, that is working on the development on the BigDelta (a tall robot 3D printer, designed in order to build houses with ecological and 0km building materials) faced the necessity of having a more powerful electronic board and processor in order to move the arms of the printer at high speed and with a better fluidity of movements. From this need, start the new project of WASP: the modification of the firmware that command the printer (Marlin), a re-designed pcb board with a 32 bit RISC processor able to do 82 million operation per second. “In the open source world we didn't find more powerful boards: all firmware are for Arduino Mega. This has forced us to take a great work of 'discovery and development' that we share in open source. We know the valuable knowledge that we have been donated by the community until now” says Massimo Moretti, WASP founder. The Waspers have tried this powerful board on one DeltaWASP 20 40. The result was incredible: with 250-300 mm/s of travel speed, with the implementation Turbo the speed can grow up to 1000 mm/s. Thanks to the characteristic of the DeltaWASP 20 40, the precision remain the same. The discoveries in WASP are almost monthly, the group in fact re-invest into research a big amount of the gains from the sale of 3D printers. An Italian company that contributes to the sharing of the knowledge and to the diffusion of instruments, with the intent to allow , through the 3D printing , to initiate a real production. Meanwhile, the invitation is for Milan, 5, 6, 7 March, to see one of the fastest FFF printer in the world, pheraps the fastest. Info: www.wasproject.it
WASP Suspended Bowden
At Maker Faire 2013 we presented our innovation on the Bounden of Family line. Well the Bounden is relieved.!!
What does it mean? It means the choice of downloading the inertia on the hanging rubber-bands, improving like that the printing speed and quality.
Creative Commons License
We stress on declaring that WASP Suspended Bowden, protected by Creative Commons, is now relieved.
We declare this as being a technological innovation, a useful project; Wasp states the know-how sharing. We trust on unwritten but world-wide shared Makers rules . The approach which better corresponds to our vision is Creative Commons, because it foresees the publication of assimilated knowledge reducing like that the exploitation from a commercial point of view.
WASP Suspended Bowden is distribuited with License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
Eurochocolate / EXPO 2015 Cocoa & Chocolate Cluster
Here we are! Expo2015
Eurochocolate / EXPO 2015 Cocoa & Chocolate Cluster
An Exceptional 3D-Printed Prosthesis
There are certain applications of our 3D printers that inspire us and give our work meaning. Marco Avaro’s smile, the enthusiasm he exudes, and his desire to develop technology to make others’ lives better, have brightened our days. We are very fortunate to collaborate with Marco in his work. We discovered that it is now possible to create a high-quality, orthopedic prosthesis rapidly, thanks to 3D printing technology. This Friulian biomedical engineer has demonstrated that with a brand-new Delta WASP 2040, he is already able to make two prostheses a day.
Avaro bought a Delta 2040 and was immediately pleased. The revelation that he could print a prosthesis socket of an excellent quality, was the turning point for Avaro. In his own words, “The printer made the difference. It enabled me to fabricate large pieces, even those larger than 40 centimeters, with just one print. The quality is so high, that it does not need to be treated before millwork. The printer is fast and the design of the printer allows me to consistently produce even exceedingly thin surfaces. The advantages are many. If you take degenerative diseases, for example, the geometries become particularly difficult since there are many asymmetries. Nonetheless, with this technology it is possible to treat a wide range of cases without any difficulties.”
Since November 2014, when Avaro bought the Delta WASP, he has fabricated thirty prostheses. “Just to be clear,” says the engineer, “”I haven’t invented anything. I just applied the 3D printing technology. It is the printer that provides the practically perfect quality of the products. And it is very competitively priced, as well.”
As Avaro stated above, the volume of the printer is definitely ample and permits the production of a socket that is both durable and light. This results from strong cohesion between print layers. This also translates into a number of other advantages. “This allows me to print hollow sockets, without having to worry about the acrylic resin filling the interior of the print,” explains Avaro, “Furthermore, there isn’t deformation while the prints are processed.”
FEM (finite element method) modeling has revealed that the forces between technical materials (such as the resin or carbon fiber that Avaro also uses in his prostheses*) are spread evenly, something that becomes impossible if the acrylic resin spills into the prosthesis’ interior. The infiltration of the resin causes irregular variations in the rigidity, such that the prosthesis can be structurally compromised and fare poorly when exposed to cycles of alternating load (fatigue, or more simply put, continued usage.)
“The prints made with the Delta WASP 2040 have brilliantly exceeded the mechanical and computational tests [I’ve subjected it to.] This provides the opportunity to make a structure that is strong and considerably lighter,” tells Avaro.
If that’s not enough, there are also advantages from an aesthetic perspective, an aspect which is fundamentally important for the people who rely on it daily. It is possible to polish the prosthesis until it shines like a mirror, using particular resins and lacquers. Additionally, since each prosthesis is custom-made, they are more comfortable to wear.
“The machine is fast,” reaffirms Avaro, “For a tibial prosthesis, it previously took me eight hours, and now it doesn’t even take two. I create prostheses for mountain climbers and cross country runners. And I’m always greeted with an immense thankfulness. When I finish the prosthesis, I deliver them and there is never a need to make any corrections. The clients’ physical therapists are amazed by what we do. In conclusion: my collaboration with WASP has changed my life.”
The Del Bene orthopedic lab is situated on Rossetti Street, Trieste.
The prosthesis production center is located in Azzano Decimo (Pordenone).
WASP is located in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna)
For more info feel free to contact us at: Marco Avaro 328 2968322; marcoavaro@gmail.com.
3D Printing Vitruvian Man
Thanks to Design for Craft
3D modeling by Fabio Severin
3D printed with DeltaWASP
Layer height 0.05mm
TeoTronico, the robotic pianist
Matteo Suzzi, owner of Teotronica, talks about his work in robotic development and about how the 3d printer Power WASP as change his work.
He builds a robot TeoTronico that play instruments.
Resurrection System, a 3D printing revolution
The will to build houses has made necessary the “Resurrection” birth.
An evolution of the function “stop and save”. The need to stop or interrupt the wall printing and to get it back the day after at the same point where it was left, has been the motivation to create this new implementation.
Dennis Patella, a real maker and our collaborator, has found how to solve the firmware problem for the improvement of the function Stop & Save.
The reasoning is quite simple: the extruding data are backed up in a SD card, and just from the same data, the printing process starts again when turned on. This system perfectly fits Delta printers because the Delta setscrew ( limit switch) is on the top. On the contrary, in the other common 3D printers it is at the left bottom, and like this the extruder “going home” could hit the object. The system saves the data in file called “resurrection.g”.
We have implemented this function for the traditional printers too. It’s important in this case, to make the “home” of x y and not of z.
What happens in case of black out in the factory? Resurrection System is the solution to this problem
An emergency battery could have been a solution, having like this a prompt and automatic re-start immediately after the black-out. We have interrupted the track to the “Arduino” with 12 volt and have added a diode and a 10.000 µF-condenser (little battery). We have reached this measure after a long series of attempts, nobody knew in advance how long it would take to perform this procedure. Dennis has worked on the transfer-speed and on the SD card writing a lot, and finally has made the sudden back-up possible
How does it work?
The system is composed by a voltage divider on the ’Arduino entrance; it reads the voltage present in the divider itself and gives a bar code; so , when the voltage goes under a certain level – the Arduino carries out the Stop & Save function.
In case of unplug, the Arduino would try its Stop & Save function but the machine engines, absorbing a lot of power, would prevent to fulfill it. On the contrary, if we use a diode after the microprocessor power source, we have stored the necessary power to fulfill the back-up.
In case the voltage goes suddenly to zero, the engines can use the power stored in the condenser protected by the diode, a valve blocks the power transfer in the opposite direction.. So, the power in the little battery is enough to keep the Arduino alive for the time necessary to make the back-up. This function is incredibly effective and useful. The applications are many. It could save all those printings, some very long too, that have been lost till now. Nothing similar had never been done before. Born from the need to print Houses, Resurrection has been implemented on each of our Printers, not only on BigDelta.
Creative Commons Licence
We consider important to declare Resurrection as being protected by Creative Commons, it means that anybody can repeat it in his own record: we make it disposal for any Maker who wants to put it in his own machine. Moreover we share the firmware with those who have WASP models without this, now, standard function.
We claim this technological innovation as being a useful project, characterized by a micro-processor that, as soon as supplied, stocks the necessary little quantity of power necessary to save the extruder data, in case of no power source. The microprocessor reads the supply voltage and starts the back-up sub-routine in case of supply lack..
Resurrection is very interesting, it is a real turning point in the printing background – so we are sure it will tease big institutions of this sector. There would be the requirements for a use-patent but WASP is in favor of the know-how-sharing. We trust on unwritten but world-wide shared Makers rules . The approach which better corresponds to our vision is Creative Commons, because it foresees the publication of assimilated knowledge reducing like that the exploitation from a commercial point of view.
We would really appreciate if, in case of Creative Commons rule violation, the community protected our contribution.
Resurrection System of Wasproject is distribuited with License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International .
3D printed mold
Can you make molds with a 3d printer?
The opportunities and partnerships in 3d printing are always rising.
Today we introduce Tondo Garage, a garage situated in Ravenna, born from the passion of Giovanni Gallo and Luigi Tondo, ex pilot and expert of motorcycles. In 2011 they started a new project: a Garage where to design and make special motorcycles on demand. Four months ago the Tondo Garage Team asked us to explore together the opportunity to create 3d printed tanks.
Instead of printing tanks, we opted to make a model from which to generate a resin mold, in order to start a real industrial production. The process is linear: you need to scan the motorcycle and then you have to design the model to print.
3d printed mold for motorcycle fuel tank with Tondo Garage
Why choose 3d printing?
3D Printing gives the opportunity to create a starter model with less time and a cheaper cost, compared to sheet metal prototypes. From here it can start a carbon fiber,or more valuable materials, serial production.
The precision and the speed of printing allow us to really enter in the productive process of a company and to make easier the creation of a project with special characteristics like a customizable product.
The experts of Tondo Garage are experimenters and enthusiasts: they break new ground to get close to their clients’ requests, keeping an artiginal attitude in their work.
This mold was printed with the Delta WASP 60100 that permits big size prints.
Evolution in clay 3D printing
We started printing clay vases a few moths ago, with a pressure extruder. Clay is a good material because it can be mixed again after the first printing, can be reused, can be finished after the printing and, as we said, it gives a commercial value and a concrete use to the printed pieces.
The pressure extruder didn’t consent to stop the flow, so we created another one: it works with a cochlea, and has the same retraction, interruption and the same control in laying down small ammount of material, of the PLA printing.
We’re preparing ourselves to go to Paris, that’s why we thought to print the emperor bust with new clay extruder, which arrives till 0,35 mm.First results were hilarious for us, but during the week we understood that they were just the starting point for a quick evolution. You can see in pictures underlying the difference between the first print and the last one. Between those there are just a few days of distance and a lot of work.
Napoleon used to say “Every day you loose is a chance of misfortune for the future”. He was famous for being quick, he was always in motion, even when it seemed to be vain. Playing in advance was one of his main quality and we feel we have it. The pressure extruder that we brought to Argillà was a real news but we didn’t stop and we’re going to Paris with the new one.
In the picture you can see the first print of the imperor’s head, in which the mixture was too fluid and remained attached to the needle. Despite of this, the laurel crown was closed and we were happy about the results. The second picture is the last print. After improving the extruder and the mixture we reached incredibly precise results. Between the first and the last one there has been a week.
It is clear that everybody, with a scanner that costs a few hundred euros and WASP system is able to realize clay busts (or anything else) in a few hours. The process we finished is a real chance of occupation, a concrete opportunity of work.
Enthusiasm stays haigh, just like curiosity and sense of challenge.
Stay tuned!
Zzzz
Here you have some pictures and videos:
Ceramic art and 3D printing - sperimentations
Ceramic art and 3D printing merge in our sperimentations. Here we have a photo gallery by WASP which illustrates this charming relation with some substantial images.
Alternative materials for 3D printing characterize our research, which is evolving towards bigger sizes and always producing unxpected results in the path. In this path, energies meet and link from all over the world. Here we have the synergy of ceramic masters that join 3D innovation.
Between the ones in the photo there are several pieces designed by the English artist Jonathan Keep, who modulated ambient sound and printed them with a DeltaWASP. A lucky meeting the one with Ivo Sassi, a ceramic master who is known all over the world. He was so moved from our work that he wanted to fire the pieces and finish them.
3D printing offers new chances and unreleased solutions to big artists creativity.
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from thingiverse / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi 
.stl and .gcode from Jonathan Keep / 3d printing by Wasproject / material: white clay / painted and fired by Ivo Sassi / wet object heigth 68 cm 
.stl from thingiverse / 3d print Wasproject/ material: polcelain / painted and fired by Jacopo Vitali 
WASP press release for Rome Maker Faire
PRINTING HOUSES IS NOT ONLY A DREAM ANYMORE
WASP group will expose a giant 3D printer at Rome Maker Fair
Just two years ago WASP announced his pourpose: printing houses with km0 materials, finding low cost solutions for each territory, to solve the house problems in the world.
It seemed to be just an utopia but WASP is going to achieve his goal and is going to prove it at Rome Maker Fair, on 3rd, 4th and 5th of October.
WASP built a 6 meters tall 3D printer to realize clay buildings and it is already on sell.
“For pratical reasons we will bring to Rome a smaller version, 4 meters tall- explains Massimo Moretti, craftman and real WASP soul- We will print a mixture made of clay and sand. It takes weeks to print a real house, so we will print a smaller building becouse we only have two days. But the print, the mixture and materials have been already tested and they’re working.”
Seeing this giant printer working will be an extraordinary experience for faire visitors.
Self confidence, innovation and research characterize WASP. The project is self-financing by spreading technologies and knowledge to change the general approach to work, even creating work. The 3D printers for polymeric materials line is between the most precise and fast in the world, and finances WASP’s research, by giving to little and middle dimension industies instruments for rapid prototypes.
“We have a big goal and we work everyday in little things to achieve it - continues Moretti- We created first commerciable extruders for clay, porcelain and ceramic, to give the chance of producing objects which have functionality and commerce value. Thanks to clay printing it is possible a real self-made production that is practical and commerciable.
“Work and progress are the cornerston of our thought” concludes Massimo Moretti.
By the way, WASP is the acronym of World Advanced Saving Project.
Don't loose the show at marquee B, stands 9-10-101 at Rome Maker Faire #MFR14
Delta 40 70: from microscopic to macroscopic
Wasp aims at macroscopic dimensions but we also invest on microscopic ones (till 2 mm), because dimension is one of the variables that open new work chances.
Our propensity to give real answers bring us to find technicals solutions to get closer to digital handicraft and little and medium industries that need to realize prototypes, but not only: with Delta 40 70 it is possible to realize a real production. With Delta 40 70 a lot of things can be realized: pottery, mannequins, illuminating products made of ceramic or porcelain and scenographic objects for example.
Thanks to 1.75 extruder it is posssible to print from microscopic to macroscopic with the same machine. 3D printing gives true chances in this way, everybody can give a shape to their ideas, even invent a real job.
Dimensioni s a theme that opens the door to new applications, even if the seems to be far today they will be reality in a short time. 3D printing gives true chances in this way, everybody can give a shape to their ideas, even invent a real job.
Dimensioni s a theme that opens the door to new applications, even if the seems to be far today they will be reality in a short time.
In this moment Nicola Samorì, an internationally known artist, is realizing his second piece of work using our Delta 40 70. I twill be 2,50m tall and the lightness of the material creates a sort of short circuit with the huge dimensions. Here we have a new fronteer of art wich meets a new technology, A thousand of fresh ideas come to the light.
In a few days an article about Samorì new work! Follow us!
This vase was printed with a Delta 40 70,
with a PLA filament 1.75,
nozzle 0.7,
printing time: 8 hours.
If you want to try to reproduce it here we have our gcode and Thingiverse link, where we took the .stl
New extruder 1.75. How does it work? Wasp vs Wasp
Have been passed two centuries in two years, from the first self-made solid printers. The first Wasp printers, which were ones of the most accurate of the moment, have been overtaken with a daily print experience in these years. The heart of changing is the extruder.
An extruder is composed by a support tube which is made of teflon in the inside and covered by inox steel, this duct ends in a meld chamber. Inox steel was chosen for the cover of the tube becouse of his characteristic of being a bad heal conductor: heal rises from the meld chamber and it risks of liquefy the plastic filament before the right moment, when it is still inside the support tube. To solve this problem in the old extruder, the 3mm one, the passage before the meld chamber was larger, so, even if the filament became larger because of the healing the friction doesn’t grow too much.
We created a new extruder, infinitely more precise. The filament is 1.75 mm. Copper filaments have been added to the support tube, in that way the can burn off the healing of the meld chamber. There is also a fan who ventilates the tube. So we can use thinner plastic filaments and which are more precise in the deposit fase. This is one of te news that we will present to Maker Fair in Rome. But there are several surprises.
This has been possible thanks to the ones who supported us at the beginning, that’s way we want to offer the chance to keep walking together. In fact, to have new surprising results with an old Wasp printer it is only necessary to change the extruder. In an era where objects are thrown away to be changed with new models we belive that the real progress is to avoid any kind of waste. We want our printers around the world keep working and keep doing it always better. On the other hand for the ones who have a very old model without display we can only offer a discount on a new printer.
Thanks to everybody who support us and who believed in our project, our Wasp printers allow us to follow our dream of a 3D printed house. We are very close to do it, but you will see it in Rome very soon.
In the pictures you can see the pieces that our new extruder 1.75 can realize, we want to launch an open challenge to everybody who wants to print so precise pieces with their printer, we will send you the files! ;)
From project to object – Digital handicraft with 3D printers
3D printing is strictly bounded to Fourth Industrial Revolution becouse it consents to everybody who has the knowledge (or the chance to reach it) the instruments to transform a project into an object. After the advent of industrialization the chance of production was concentrated in a few people’s hands. Thanks to 3D printing everybody can produce what he needs, this kind of approach is the new handicraft or digital handicraft.
Sadly, 3D printing isn’t a solution yet but just a trend. That’s becouse of the use of plastic materials which aren’t functional in everyday life. Materials aren’t fitting the evolution of shapes that a 3D printers can do, a beautiful PLA vase has esthethic contents that are limited becouse of the functional lack, an object like this doesn’t fit for sale.
Wasp means to make a step towards handicraft and self-made, self-production. So we choose to print with functional materials that come from tradition and can be used in our lives, just like ceramic, clay, metal clay. This isn’t only a step towards handicraft but to the world we would like.
Our leading idea is hanicraft and self-production, we try to create processes to support the progress and people’s health. For this reason we don’t produce only printers but also the chance to make real things, to make a change.
In the picture a ceramic work printed by Jonathan Keep and a PLA vase printed by DeltaWasp
The biggest clay pieces ever 3D printed in the world
Wasp Project was born in 2012 with the purpose of printing houses and it determinates our daily choiches, expecially about materials. That’s the reason we work with ceramics, clays and fluid-dense materials. There is no research in this field, particularly in open sources. We faced with special attention extrusion and change of state problems and developed the first commercial extruders for clays and fluid-dense materials. That’s the reason of our delight when Argillà, national ceramic art show, invited us.
Organizers offered us the chance of working beside Jonathan Keep, an English artist who programs 3D printers starting from the sounds of nature and the numeric code which is hidden in each natural element. His innovative and sensitive approach to an ancient art like pottery endeared us.
Before our meeting we had a phonecall with Keep in which we decided to realize the biggest pieces we were able to. Live sperimentation is the typical Wasp approach, but we didn’t know what we would have done.
The several advices and contributes of the senior potters who were there were very usefull to achieve our goal. One of those advices was about Chamot, a kind of clay that contains a fired chopped clay inside. The extrusion of Chamot has allowed us to print some pieces which were 2mm thick and 70 cm tall. The biggest 3D printed clay pieces in the world.
.stl by Jonathan Keep, Faenza's square noises which was full of people have been transformated in an object shape
Jonathan Keep enthusiasm was amazing for us, he never had the chance of working with a so high precision and so vast sizes, and expeccially he never printed clay so fast. By using Deltas (2040, 4060 and BigDelta) Keep understood that a real mass-producuction is possible in this way.
We were impressed by Keep attention and ability, he was very concentrated and creative and despite lenguage difficulties Massimo and Jonathan worked together in those days with a common view and wholeartedly.
At the fair we had the cance to meet real pottery professionals who had been working for decades and who know thousands of clays. We also faced the opinion of people about the presence of a 3D printer in an handicraft fair: some of them red it like the end of handicraft but almost all the pottery masters looked at our printers like an opening to new creative prospectives and new expressive ways.
One of the most interesting meetings was the one with Ivo Sassi, who started his artistic work in Faenza with huge teachers in the early 50’s. The craftsman was amazed of Delta’s technology becouse of its capability of solving th typical clay problems, just like the risks of collapse, braking or burst during the burning.
“It’s a very armonic process, from the artistic point of view”, despite he is an eighty-years-old man Sassi immediatly undestood the potential of 3D printers.
From Delta technology , Keep poetic and artistic figure and Romagna’s pottery tradition the pieces that you can see in the pictures.
Here you have also the link to Artribune’s article about our experience at Argillà.
Aït Ben Haddou / clay and 3d printing
Ait Ben Haddou was the place were we went to reach the clay for our Big Delta, we were equipped of shovels, picks and sacks. The idea to go there came from a flyer which illustrated Ait Ben Haddou as an ancestral architecture example.
Alì, our driver, told us that in the desert houses are made by clay and that in Berber tradition for each wedding the couple choose the colour of the clay for their house between red and green.
So we lost ourselves between the high clay walls of Ait Ben Haddou, were the red of the buildings meets the blue of the sky.
Alì explained to us that the clay houses need no restoration except an addiction of 2 cm of soil every five years. So Ait Ben Haiddou offered us the chance to deal with the problem of water erosion, becouse of the continental, rainy weather of the center of Morocco.
In the mean time we had beautiful snowy mountains at our back.
We are already thinking how to resolve erosion problems with the use of an additive, starting from tradition we try to emprove it by modern technology.
So we started our clay collection. We discovered multiple layers of soil with different colours: the exterior one was unfitting our project becouse there was too much send inside of it. The underlying layer was perfect: it had the right proportion af sand and clay to create a functioning and consinstent mixture for our Big Delta. Not by chance it was the kind of soil used by Ait Ben Haddou abitants to build their houses.
Then we came back in Marrakesh, to African Fabers temporary Fab Lab, where we worked with Urban FabLab guys to make the mixture of clay and water using our hands and feet. We loved working in this way becouse it reflects our idea of starting from tradition to improve it, we want to take the best from every kind of technology, the new and the old ones, and connect one to the other.
In the video you can see Big Delta (Green Award winner in 3D London Printing Show) while prints some shapes obtained with Grass Hopper, using Ait Ben Haddou clay.
Delta WASP 60100 - Big sizes
Delta WASP 60100 Stampante 3D italiana di grandi dimensioni
Delta WASP 60100 designed and developed within the WASP laboratories.
It belongs to the group of the largest 3D printer in the world with FFF technology.
With a height of 250 cm and a width of 117cm with base has an area of 600 mm for a height of 1000 mm, completely usable .
Derives from a specific request and there has been commissioned to special needs of " size " , this machine is indispensable for the realization of very large objects .
Become part of our Delta Family and found today on the wasp shop!
Alcune foto:
Bruno e un'oggetto stampato 3d di grandi dimensioni con Delta WASP 60100
Nicola e un'oggetto stampato 3d di grandi dimensioni con Delta WASP 60100
Andrea e il Delta WASP 60100 a stampa terminata
Missione germogli ad Alcatraz
Eccoci ad Alcatraz.
Dal 24 al 27 aprile un corso di progettazione e stampa in 3D con tema "cibo".
A cena il gruppo chiede: "Jacopo, com'è questo progetto?!"
Jacopo Fo sofferma lo sguardo e si da il tempo di pensare un secondo, repentino risponde: " Questo progetto è.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH", e tutti a ridere.
L'oggetto della progettazione è stato un "germogliatore" autoprodotto con acqua corrente fresca a nutrimento dei germogli.
L'idea era quella di creare una forma che potesse accoglie il concetto di caduta e gocciolamento dell'acqua, come succede naturalmente ad una pianta sotto la pioggia.
Il gruppo si muove dall'idea alla realizzazione della stessa attraversando vari argomenti progettuali, dalla forma dei piani, alla struttura, al funzionamento della pompa. La sinergia di gruppo fa si che il concept si trasformi in oggetto reale.
Accettata la sfida e stabilito lo "scheletro" del progetto si va avanti nel perfezionamento di vari aspetti, alcuni estetici in stretta relazione alla funzione della forma, altri tecnici di scorrimento dell'acqua in relazione alla tipologia di seme da utilizzare.
Il gruppo si è dimostrato dinamico e reattivo, comprensivo ed attento alle proposte di tutti i partecipanti. Questo ci ha fatto guadagnare tempo, è stata partorita un'altra ipotesi di germogliatore dove si introduce l'utilizzo della fresa combinata a giunti stampati, il protagonista di questo modello è il vapore che sale dal basso verso l'alto.
Arriviamo a conclusione di queste giornate intense con la prova di funzionamento.. e... FUNZIONA!
Ci lasciamo con alcuni obbiettivi, costruire una pompa ad hoc. Introdurre un timer per regolare il flusso o utilizzare Arduino. Sperimentare con l'utilizzo di un pannello solare.
Tutto questo in funzione all'analisi delle fasi di germogliazione dei semi.
Ora il germogliatore funzionate è ad Alcatraz, saranno gli abitanti di questo magico luogo a mangiarne i primi frutti, o meglio, germogli!
Signori, non finisce qui. Aspettiamo immagini a riguardo (la natura ha i suoi tempi, capitela) che ci mostreranno i germoglietti vivi.. che nascono..
Bello questo tuffo in mezzo alla verdissima Alcatraz nel cuore del verde più verde.
Bello il gruppo di progettazione, e bella l'estrema serietà e interesse nei confronti dell'obbiettivo finale (che poteva anche non funzionare), Bravi!
Bella questa Alcatraz dove la mente viaggia libera e l'aria è cosparsa da risate colorate, cinguettii, colorati animaletti di Jacopo Fo. Realtà già consigliata, ma ve la RIconsiglio, adate a scoprire cos'è alcatraz www.alcatraz.it e se potete, metteteci il naso.
Che questo germogliatore germogli e faccia germogliare. (Bel tema per un'inizio).
ecco il link al nostro album su facebook
ed ecco il link alla pagina facebook di Alcatraz
Link a thingiverse
Grazie a tutti, tutti tutti.
Team WASP!
Stufa pirolitica work in progress
Il nostro obiettivo è di sfruttare la nostra potentissima delta per costruire una stufa a gassificazione ! La sue tecnologia permette di avere rendimenti altissimi, fino a oltre il 90% e emissioni di CO pari a zero. Pensate che in Africa la combustione di legna per scaldarsi e cucinare è la prima causa di morte per i bambini sotto i 5 anni.
Abbiamo fatto varie prove con dei materiali metallici per validare le teorie di funzionamento e disegnato il design della nostra stufa, appena il big delta sarà pronto potremmo farvela vedere in dimensioni reali !
Per chi fosse interessato al progetto siamo aperti a suggerimenti e collaborazioni, contattateci!
3D printed stove
The Wasproject is pleased to present another wonderful project to be discovered!
While waiting for the Rome fair, we will unveil a preview of our new ambitious project, which is directly linked to the whole Wasp project.
Our goal is to exploit our powerful delta to build a gasification stove! Its technology allows you to have very high yields, up to over 90% and zero CO emissions. Do you think that in Africa the burning of wood for heating and cooking is the leading cause of death for children under 5 years …
We have done various tests with metallic materials to validate theories of operation and designed the design of our stove, as soon as the big delta is ready we could show it in real dimensions!
For those interested in the project we are open to suggestions and collaborations, write to the email address: damianostefano.fontana@gmail.comgetto con spiegazioni piu dettagliate sul nostro lavoro.
PowerWASP extruder upgrade
Simple hack for a better extrusion, instructions here on McMos's Blog
thank you!
Makers Italy
Just came back from "Robotica" and "makers Italy" in Milan. Busy days printing stuff, meeting people! We've met Alessandro Ranellucci, the Slic3r developer, and Josef Prusa, open source 3D printing starting point with RepRap; two of the many people that inspired us to proceed with the project. As well we've been lucky enough to meet the Vectorealism guys with whom we've shared this experience. We were also amazed by an awesome vertical plotter!
It's been an important experience especially for the feeling of being part of a community where everyone shares ideas and technology to develop different project and make the world a better place.
The event was a success, we're sure these meetings are gonna take everyone even more forward!
