Our group used a raspberry pi with a 5G hat attached to it in order to connect a 3D printer to cellular connection, enabling control of the system remotely and testing the capabilities of 5G connection.
Sponsor
Timothy W. Simpson
Team Members
Marissa Rizzolo | Charlie Carpinteyro | Rabab Baba | Yiming Zhong | Pallavi Das | Peiliang Du | Ryan Hunt | | | | |
Project Poster
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Project Video
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Project Summary
Overview
3D printing is one of the most widely used manufacturing technologies, especially during this pandemic due to its flexibility and ease of access. It is a cumulative process where a three-dimensional object is created by laying down additive layers of material. This process is done under computer control using a print file (CAD). While 3D printers are becoming more accessible, it is still a challenge to control them remotely. This project is sponsored by the Center for Innovative Material Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). The company aims at manufacturing advancing additives for various applications. Our task was to design an open-source system for remotely monitoring a 3D printer over the 5G network.
Objectives
Our objective was to design, prototype, and test an open-source system for remotely monitoring a 3D printer over the 5G network.
Approach
– Participate in weekly advisor and sponsor calls to receive feedback.
– Identify modules that can connect to a 3D printer remotely.
– Purchase materials to use a 3D printer, access remotely, and monitor remotely.
– Generate initial prototype to test parameters, identify new constraints and find any errors to correct.
Outcomes
– Successfully monitor and control the 3D Printer remotely by using Raspberry Pi and Octoprint plugin Spaghetti Detective.
– Successfully transfer the data through 4G, Ethernet and WIFI network and once get the 5G sim card, the process is the same for 5G.
– Successfully extract the data from Octoprint API to get the nozzle and bed temperature, current printing status, and the duration and remaining time.
– Successfully detect failure when there is error while printing and the printing process will stop automatically.
– Find more research and do a recommendation on getting the nozzle position and failure detection directly from the 3D Printer through deep learning algorithm.