Model 1 1-Syringe Tool

From Fab @ Home

1 Welcome to the Model 1 1-Syringe Tool Overview Page
2 Bill of Materials
3 Acrylic Parts
- 3.1 Nominal Dimensions
  - 3.1.1 For Solidworks
  - 3.1.2 Other File Formats
- 3.2 Layout DXF file
4 Solidworks Assembly Files
5 Part Images
6 Model 1 1-Syringe Tool Assembly Diagrams
- 6.1 Mounting the 1-Syringe Tool to the Model 1 Chassis
- 6.2 Navigation

Welcome to the Model 1 1-Syringe Tool Overview Page

Here you can find information about how to build a 1-Syringe Tool, and attach it to your Model 1.

The standard Model 1 1-Syringe Tool

The Model 1 1-Syringe Tool is the standard deposition tool for the Fab@Home Model 1. It uses disposable syringe barrels, tips, and pistons to hold the materials, and it uses the linear stepper motor method of controlling syringe piston position, hence material flow. This is the recommended tool for beginner fabbers, in that it allows the use of a very wide variety of materials, the materials do not need careful preparation, it operates in an intuitive fashion, and allows simple swapping of material syringes to build objects with multiple materials.

Because the syringe barrels, tips, and pistons are in direct contact with materials, we recommend using disposable components. The 1-Syringe Tool has been designed specifically for 10cc barrels from EFD Inc.The same type of components can be found from a variety of vendors, but we have not tested the compatibility of parts from other sources. If you find other compatible dispensing components, please add them to the Syringe Tool Dispensing Components page.

Bill of Materials

Currently, the off-the-shelf structural parts for the syringe tool are included in the Model 1 bill of materials.

Model 1 Bill of Materials Page

Disposable syringe barrels, pistons, and tips recommended for use with the 1-Syringe Tool:

Syringe Tool Dispensing Components Page

Acrylic Parts

Below you can find files in several CAD formats which describe the acrylic parts. Each archive should contain part files and an Excel spreadsheet which describes quantities of each part, recommended material, and recommended orientation for parts during the cutting process - the orientation affects the ease of assembly because many cutting processes leave slightly tapered cuts.

Archives described as "Nominal Dimensions" show the parts with the exact dimensions they should have once you have them in hand. Archives described as "Offset by ... for ..." have had the dimensions altered to compensate for effect of material removed by a cutting process so that the parts will end up with nominal dimensions when cut with the specified process.

Notes to Solidworks users:

SolidWorks Parts files REQUIRE INCH UNITS; parts contain equations which are unit dependent
The primary part configuration (with long descriptive name) represents the part with nominal dimensions.
Configuration named "Cut Compensated" is automatically offset to compensate for tool kerf according to the global variable "Cut Compensation Offset" (see "Equations")
"Cut Compensation Offset" is the one-sided offset of the part boundaries; e.g. should be set equal to 1/2 of the total width of cut associated with your process.
To generate drawings offset for your machining process, activate the "Cut Compensated" configuration, and adjust the "Cut Compensation Offset" variable.
Please cut parts with recommended part view facing (up) toward laser; kerf flare used to assist assembly

Nominal Dimensions

For Solidworks

Fab@Home 1-Syringe Tool Acrylic Parts, .zip (5MB) of directory containing SolidWorks parts files at nominal dimensions, Evan 21:42, 14 November 2007 (EST).

Note that the above Solidworks files include two configurations - a Nominal Dimensions configuration (as archived here), and a Cut Compensated configuration, which can be activated using the configurations tab in Solidworks. The cut compensation offset is determined by the equation "Cut Compensation Offset" in the feature tree. Simply change this equation's value (in inches) and update to change the part offset.

Solidworks Drawing Files

Other File Formats

Layout DXF file

Offset by 0.0000" (nominal size) for Waterjet cutting

This Zip file contains a DXF layout in inches for one syringe holder using a 6"x12" piece of acrylic .

Layout DXF

Solidworks Assembly Files

Here is the Solidworks Assembly for the 1 Syringe Tool. I can try to save it as other formats, but I'm not sure how well they'd translate. This one is roughly 6.8 MB. Pkiddy 13:41, 19 February 2007 (EST) 1 Syringe Tool Assembly Files

Part Images

Koba Industries of Albuquerque, NM has delivered a pilot run of parts for the syringe tool. We are nearly ready to outsource the laser-cutting of parts!