RepRapMicron

I feel like we're reliving the late 1790s again, back then you had Ramsden figuring out how to divide the circle into into seconds of arc, taking the marking of scales from an artform into something that could be manufactured reliably. Maudslay with his thread cutting lathe took the making of screws from a manual process pawned off on apprentices to something that that could be done in mass production. Wilkinson's boring machine made it possible for Watt to build a pressurized steam engine.

All of these tools are based on things that were one-offs of earlier efforts, and turned into practical machine tools by someone that history chose to remember. We're now at the point where making things by manipulating individual atoms is something a determined amateur can do, it's amazing!

I find myself fascinated by the Wyler Inclinometer, which uses a thin copper disk with spiral arms as the basis of a differential capacitor, and when complete, resulting in a device that can used to calibrate a granite surface plate. It can typically measure 1 micron/meter of deviation.

We now have 3d printers that can reliably make almost anything you want by fusing filament, or stereolithography, or fusion of metal powders. You can buy desktop 5 axis CNC machines. There are control systems available to let you build almost any type of machine tool you can imagine, in as many axis as you want.

We've got software defined radio, cheap atomic clocks, transistors that can switch megawatts, all within reach of a hobbyist.

What an amazing time to be alive.

Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvV2CH5il3Q

And the channel's preceding few videos covering the development of the prerequisite technologies.

Thank god, in 18 months we can start making our own RAM.

I see a lot of micro-chip designs that are so cool, but they just exist as a design in some software on our computers. If this printer can allow cheap and sustainable printing of chip designs, then the hardware field could take a very interesting turn!

I wanna know why piezoelectric actuators aren't used for more of this sort of thing. They can apply a decent force over a scale of tens of micrometers easily, or hundreds with careful design, and have force feedback too.

I had no idea this kind of precision was possible with parts that are not particularly advanced. Most of my modeling and 3d printing is entirely AI driven these days. With this stuff, I could make even miniature parts and screws and so on. I’m a late adopter, so I’ll have to wait the 10 years or so before it reaches current Prusa/Bambu performance but it’s exciting nonetheless.

I know it is a preposterous proposition to think this thing could create a 1/1000 version of itself, hence 1/1,000,000 3d printing, but why?

I did not expect this would be achievable to such tight tolerances - this is very impressive. Excited to see a new wave of micro-manufacturing in our future

Okay my tinker-lust has been aroused! Can someone tell me what I can make with this thing so I have an excuse to build it?

Just for reference - another post on the same topic about the video linked by CarVac.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50140001

Does this mean we can print vinyl records?

omg, ive wanted a precision computer controlled flexure motion system for yearssssss. i may also just really love tiny tools and devices.

Very cool, and I understand the off the shelf parts ambition, but what are those usb microscopes used for? These are absolute garbage (but light weight).

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