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IVI: The Closed-Loop 3D Printer

Created by IVI 3D Printer

Easily achieve high-res 3D printing, laser engraving, CNC carving with IVI, the 10 microns’ repeatability, closed-loop 3D printer. Check project updates here: https://forum.ivi3d.com/c/general/kickstarter-updates

Latest Updates from Our Project:

[Outsourcing] IVI's cooperation with Allchips
almost 5 years ago – Mon, May 06, 2019 at 07:43:02 PM

As the brain of IVI, the control board plays a key role in ensuring IVI’s precise movement. In order to ensure high quality, undelayed, and sufficient production of IVI’s control board, we need to purchase all the electronic components in the board before mass production. If you have made circuit boards and purchased components before, you would know that purchasing hundreds of different components is very cumbersome and time-consuming. We need to inquire from different suppliers to compare the costs. And we need to ensure the correctness of the models, avoiding the delay caused by mistaken purchasing. 

It is common practice to recruit one or several people who are solely responsible for the procurement of components. But for IVI, this is not the best solution. As a startup company, we cannot afford to hire many people. It is especially expensive to hire those who have a lot of experience in purchasing electronic components. 

In the end, the best solution for us is to work with professional BOM supplier -- Allchips. There are many advantages of cooperating with them: 

  •  One-stop components supply. Allchips can help us to find all electronic components in our BOM list, and provide a quotation. Allchips has more than 30 professionals with 5 years' experience in the purchasing team. They can help us to find all the electronic components parts we need.
  •  Cost calculation. With their large database and intelligent analysis, we can get a rapid quotation. What is more, we are able to see what’s the main cost in the BOM and adjust the electronic components parts to meet the budget.
  •  Replacement solution. For the shortage of parts in the production process and cannot be bought within a short period of time or the EOL (End of life) parts, Allchips will intelligent provided us with Suggested Substitutes. 
  •  Risk Management. Allchips can figure out whether our part No. is single supply channel, out of production, out of stock or meets environment standards in advance. These factors and others are the greatest potential risk against the project. According to their analysis, we can make a safe and appropriate plan for the project through a long-term view.
Office of Allchips' purchasing department
Office of Allchips' purchasing department
Allchips workflow
Allchips workflow
Top brands
Top brands

We believe, with the help of Allchips, the IVI team can purchase all components more efficiently and cost-effectively. This in turn will ensure the mass production of IVI control boards.


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🚀 🚀 🚀 $1 million milestone
almost 5 years ago – Mon, May 06, 2019 at 07:38:07 PM

Dear all, 

Thank you so much for supporting us and taking the time to share your feedback, suggestions, and ideas with us. Together, we just hit the $1,000,000 milestone. 

IVI team will keep working hard to improve. More updates of IVI printing with different filaments, the heated bed, the cooling system upgrade, CNC wood carving are on the way. Please stay tuned.

Thank you again for your support. Have a wonderful weekend! 


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[Testing] IVI prints with TPU
almost 5 years ago – Mon, May 06, 2019 at 07:37:17 PM

Dear all, 

In this video, IVI printed a tire for the bulldozer model with TPU filament.

* Because the camera lens was broken in the middle of the video shooting and we had to record the second part of this video with GoPro, you'll find the video changed the view from 2:28. We are very sorry about this. 

With support
With support
Removed the support
Removed the support
Helen is testing the TPU tire
Helen is testing the TPU tire

IVI uses a Bowden extruder, compared with Printers that use Direct extruder, it is not easy for IVI to print with TPU filament as it cannot retract to reduce the stringing during the printing and the printing speed is much slower. But we think the result is really great.


Below are the printing parameters for this test. 

Nozzle diameter: 0.3 mm

Printing temperature: 210℃

Layer height: 0.1 mm

Printing speed: 10 mm/s

Retraction: N/A

Infill distance: 4 mm

Printing time: about 22 hours

Tire diameter: 86 mm

Tire height: 52.8 mm

Stay tuned for more testing with more types of filaments, ABS, PC, PA, etc. 

This is the testing video by Helen.


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[Testing] IVI prints with ABS
almost 5 years ago – Mon, May 06, 2019 at 07:31:24 PM

 Dear all, 


Today, we tested the ABS with two models. One is the Octopus, the other one is Torture Egg. 

Note: To avoid model shrink, please disable the cooling fan for the entire print when printing with ABS. 

Below are the printing parameters for this test. 

Nozzle diameter: 0.3 mm

Printing temperature: 235℃

Build plate temperature: 80℃

Layer height: 0.15 mm

Printing speed: 30 mm/s

Wall thickness: 0.9 mm

Retraction speed: 60 mm/s

Retraction distance: 6.5 mm

Infill distance: 4 mm

L*W*H of the Octopus: 58 x 57 x 40 mm

Printing time: about 2 hours 45 minutes


L*W*H of the Torture Egg: 61.1 x 58.3 x 81.7 mm 

Printing time: about 6 hours 30 minutes


Source of the models


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[Testing] IVI prints with the current cooling system
almost 5 years ago – Mon, May 06, 2019 at 06:40:34 PM

Dear all, 

As requested by some of you, we are demonstrating IVI printing with the current cooling system, two turbofans with 7.7 CFM airflow on the upper part of IVI. 

The airflow of current cooling system
The airflow of current cooling system

In this video, IVI is printing the Autodesk FDM Test Model. We removed the shell of the upper part to show the location of the two turbofans. And this video is a full-view so that you can see there is no other cooling device by the side. All of our presented models are printed with this cooling system. 

The result comparison of this test VS last test
The result comparison of this test VS last test

As many of you have pointed out, there is still large space for the improvement of IVI’s cooling system. We have come up with a new print head design to add fans on the print head. Once we receive the new print head from the manufacturer, we will test it with the Autodesk FDM Test Model and share with everyone IVI’s printing performance. 

Other test photos:

X axis with no ringing
X axis with no ringing
Y Axis with no ringing
Y Axis with no ringing
Bridging
Bridging
Flow control test
Flow control test

Below are the printing parameters for this test. 

Nozzle size: 0.3 mm

Printing temperature: 210℃

Printing speed: 30 mm/s

Layer height: 0.15 mm

Infill distance: 4 mm

Wall thickness: 0.9 mm

Retraction distance: 6.5 mm

Retraction speed: 65 mm/s

Printing time: 7.5 hours


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