3D Printing

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Revision as of 10:01, 18 February 2022 by Chklnk (talk | contribs) (Added 7 or 8 more bot designs to the tables)
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Desktop 3D printer

3D printers produce plastic parts under computer control. The process of 3D printing is especially useful for the smaller insect-class bots, where weight is a severe limitation to design. However, even Heavyweight-class builders use 3D printing to make composite reinforced components, custom compartment insulators, and wire guides. Keeping electrical parts and cables away from metal plates and sharp edges reduces the risk of damage and short circuits.

3D Printing is widely used in one specialized division of combat robotics, the Plastic Ants class, where the chassis and weapons (if any) must be made of plastic in order to qualify.

If you don't own a 3D printer, you may be able to get help from your local library or makerspace, or from your fellow bot-builders. Some people will want to design their own bots, which requires knowledge of 3D modeling using a computer or app for the purpose. Others will choose to download a premade design (see below). Once you've got a bot design working to your satisfaction, you can print a supply of replacement plastic parts, which can be used for repairs after your bot becomes damaged.

Selecting a Printer

Selecting a printer for 3D printing a combat robot can be a big decision, and here are some factors to think about when purchasing your printer.

Budget

Desktop and office 3D Printers can range from as low as $150 to over $10,000 depending on their hardware, capabilities, build volume, and other factors. Here's a quick overview of what's available:

  • Budget-friendly/hobbyist 3D printers: Range from $150 - $750, normally limited in materials and build volume. These include machines like the Creality Ender 3 series, and will normally have a maximum nozzle temperature of 245-250° Celsius. These machines are meant for printing PLA, PETG, and ABS, but with varying degrees of modification can print more advanced materials like Nylon and TPU.
  • Advanced materials printers: Range from $750 - $3,000, and are capable of printing materials like PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, Nylon, Nylon Composites, and Polycarbonate blends with minimal or no aftermarket modifications. These will have a maximum nozzle temperature around 295-300° Celsius.
  • Engineering grade printers: Range from $3,000 - $10,000+, with few materials outside of their capabilities. These printers are often able to print not only advanced materials but also multiple materials using multiple extruders or multiple tool heads, allowing for even greater complexity. Dual extrusion can allow for a multi-color part (Black PLA/White PLA), multi-material finished product (PLA/PETG), or soluble support material like PVA/BCOH.

Printable Filaments and Materials

The materials that a FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling[1]) 3D printer can extrude must melt at a given temperature, maintain a consistent flow of material through the nozzle, and solidify in a consistent fashion. These materials include thermoplastics, waxes, and even chocolate! With specialized printers it is possible to use such materials as ceramics, glass, and concrete.

Most 3D prints in combat robotics will be made from rolls of plastics and plastic composites on an FDM printer. "Resin" printers are becoming more common in larger sizes at budget-friendly prices, and more options for resins are available to purchase on a regular basis.

The list of common 3D printable plastics below proceeds roughly from weakest to strongest.

PLA

PLA is inexpensive, but brittle.[2] It is the most common 3D printing filament. It rarely warps in use and is great for tiny parts.[3] It's a great starter material, and recommended for printing prototype parts. Many builders prefer other plastics, especially for their active weapons or armor. Pure PLA is made from cornstarch[4] and gives off a corn syrup odor which reminds some people of waffles.

PLA+

Various manufacturers offer "PLA+" and/or "Tough PLA," which are modified PLA filaments that are meant to be less brittle. With an acrylic additive, for instance, it may show much better impact resistance.[5] Inland and eSun claim their PLA+ products are 10x stronger than regular PLA.

PETG

PETG (a copolyester) is more heat resistant, more flexible, and less brittle than PLA.[6] It is well suited for 3D printing mechanical parts. Since it is more likely to flex under impact its resilience may be useful to the bot builder, but it is 2-3% heavier than PLA. Observe manufacturer's recommendations when printing, as it tends to stick very strongly to smooth print beds. You'll notice a fairly mild hot-plastic odor when printing.

ABS

ABS is a strong and reasonably impact-resistant material at a moderate price, but warps easily and smells worse while printing. Its low density makes it one of the lightest of all printable plastics (PLA is about 20% heavier for the exact same print). You'll probably need to print it in an enclosure for best results; this keeps its temperature even during printing, so that it only shrinks after printing instead of curling or warping during printing. Many hobbyists ventilate the enclosure to the outdoors with fan(s) due to the odor.

Nylon

Nylon is tough and flexible. Regular nylon is hygroscopic and must be kept in dry storage, or it will absorb moisture from the air and become spoiled after a few weeks. Consider buying a hybrid nylon material that doesn't require as much attention to storage.

PC

Polycarbonate is super strong - your robot arena walls are probably made from it! Many printers can't print it, though, because it must be heated to an extreme temperature (about 275°C/525°F).

CF Materials

Carbon-fiber reinforced materials are extremely tough, and ideal for combat robotics. These are usually polycarbonate or nylon with chopped fibers embedded inside. You should strongly consider using these when plastic parts are needed for beetleweight designs.[7] This material requires a hardened printing nozzle, as the carbon-fiber strands or particles are highly abrasive.

Tips and Best Practices

  • Nearly all 3D printers can handle PLA and PLA+. Most other materials require printing onto a heated surface (the "print bed"). Check the specifications and instructions of your printer to find out what materials it can handle.
  • A basic limitation of 3D printed parts is that they can crack or break apart along layer lines, since they are made from layers of plastic. Generally, the tougher the plastic the more likely the layers will also hold together.
  • Pay attention to the orientation of parts on the print bed - consider orienting parts so that the direction that needs to be the strongest lies horizontal during printing.
  • You can make adjustments each time you print. Thicker walls (shells) and a higher percentage of infill add density and strength to your bot, but also increase weight. Remember to re-weigh your bot after changes have been made.

Robots you can Print

You can download and print robot designs from sites like Thingiverse and Prusaprinters. Just 3D print the robot body and other provided parts, then assemble them with the working parts of the robot. Some have helpful instructions and buying suggestions for finishing the working parts; however, some have little or no guidance, and you will need some experience to try them.

Below are links to over 110 bot designs that have been shared by the robot building community. Limited consideration has been given to whether each of these is buildable, or will meet the stated weight class.

150g Combat Robots
Bot Class Type Provided by ID # Notes
(Unnamed) 150g 4WD Pusher ACE_ROBOTICS 3022477
(Unnamed) 150g Flipper emancarrillo 3186849
(Unnamed) 150g Hammer emancarrillo 3811105
(Unnamed) 150g Horizontal spinner emancarrillo 4094199
(Unnamed) 150g Lifter Flaronk 2435280
(Unnamed) 150g Flipper JairEmia 4743535 N20-powered
(Unnamed) 150g Hammer or Flipper JairEmia 4901799 N20-powered
(Unnamed) 150g Pusher beardedowen 2103348
(Unnamed) 150g Hammer Tom_Dreyfus 3906492 Remixed
(Unnamed) 150g Suplex bot emancarillo 4627536
(Unnamed) 150g Wedge Technick007 4330363
3D Amazon Depot 150g Horizontal spinner Drcameron 3168988
A Bit Pushy 150g Pusher FalconFPV 3204827
ACE 150g Lifter ACE_ROBOTICS 3022464
Additions for Unnamed 150g Flipper AlexKorvin 3933072 Based on 3186849
Afterlife 150g Wedge johnszy 3234339
Aionia Timoria 150g Drum spinner drcameron 3168573
A Little Obvious 150g Angled spinner Team Panic 3431621
Ant Freeze V2 150g Wedge Zanbots 3815539
Baby Shark 150g Wedge thesaxmachine 3810730
Barq's Bites 150g Flipper drcameron 2998633
Big Flip 150g Plow SiegelRacing 4616666
Big Sup 150g Suplex bot SiegelRacing 4693024
Blackspin 150g Drum spinner JC2017 2805613
Black Star 150g Wedge Ajaxjones 2065860
Blind Spot 150g Dustpan bot Team Panic 3341761
Blockhead 150g Drum spinner earthwormjim 2812197 Large beater bar
Bulldog 150g Vertical spinner Bribro12 4623536
Brutus 150g Drum spinner AlexKorvin 3972258 Overweight (see link)
Brutus Remix 150g Drum spinner cannon3d 4182360
Brutus Mk2 150g Horizontal spinner AlexKorvin 4338982
Crabulon 150g Shufflebot Drogg 3195078
Drum Battlebot 150g Drum spinner emancarrillo 5240385
Dynamo 150g Wedge Pyrotron 1215069
escoBAR 150g Horizontal spinner ninja_drift 3752142 based on Shrapnel
Firestorm 125% 150g Flipper FalconFPV 3039761 32mm wheel/N20 version
Firestorm Micro 150g Flipper AdamDC 2927678 N20 version
Firestorm (Original) 150g Flipper alexmordue 1665299
Fork Fairy 150g Wedge JairEmia 5136959
Fork Wedge 150g Battlebot emancarillo 4216968 Overweight (see link)
Front Flip 150g Flipper Fryddog 4352090
Front Flipper 150g Flipper emancarrillo 4268191
Grabbybot 150g Grabber/Lifter emancarillo 4281243
Graboid 150g Grabber JC2017 3323762
Grabthar 150g Modular (Multi) Aldwin 4868890
Guestimate 150g Horizontal spinner Team Panic 3707013
Gyrator 150g Horizontal spinner CNCROBOTICS 3070730
Gyrator v3 150g Horizontal spinner CNCROBOTICS 3164801
Halloween Pumpkin 150g Pusher NoLiver92
Hampire 150g Thwackbot Baker01t 5154492
Hello Trouble 150g Bar spinner Stonecreekturnings 4240015
HugsEy 150g Grabber/Lifter SiegelRacing 4325008
Inspired by Carbide 150g Horizontal spinner alexmordue 1816540
Kraken 150g Crusher emancarrillo 4308902
Loader 150g Wedge HarryMakesThings 2989490
LowMow 150g Undercutter JC2017 4866523
Mega London 150g Lifter thesaxmachine 2945303
Microdot 150g Triple wedge Team Panic 3341738
Microdot Updated 150g Triple wedge Team Panic
Mini Emoji 150g Lifter ACE_ROBOTICS 3022469
Netsplit 150g Horizontal spinner xanderstrike 4844195
Plover 150g Wedge aldwin 2022778
Rollcage 150g Wedge fryddog 1800795
Scrapper 150g Wedge Fryddog 4297430
Servo Drive 150g Hammer WitchdoctorbyKO 4789416
Shrapnel 150g Spinner Fryddog 1692075
Shrapnel Mk3 150g Spinner Fryddog 3115202
Shredder 150g Spinner drcameron 3168636 based on Shrapnel
Siren 150g Drum spinner drcameron 3168700
Slightly Crude 150g Wedge Team Panic 2054276
Spike 150g Wedge Fryddog 4311761
Spooky 150g Horizontal spinner BLRobotics27 3184758
Squeezy 150g Grabber/Lifter SiegelRacing 4567470
UnderScore 150g Horizontal spinner FalconFPV 3173115
UnderScore Remix 150g Horizontal spinner Printer239 5179359 Remix for 1806 motor
Upchuck 150g Vertical spinner FalconFPV 3099273
Vlad Micro 150g Lifter AdamDC 2927358
Wedge of Doom 150g Wedge FalconFPV 2946703
White Fang 150g Horizontal spinner Insertbattlebotsjokehere 3695273


All other weight classes
Bot Class Type Provided by ID # Notes
(Unnamed) 1lb Vertical spinner kkbittle 2036647
3DAD 1lb Horizontal spinner drcameron 3908901
4WD Wedge 1lb Wedge TeamLiftoff 4723564
Backlash 1lb Horizontal spinner clingmanr 3146568
Blockhead remix 1lb Paddle spinner shultiskevin 3111090
Blue Screen of Death 1lb Horizontal spinner chrismik 4075681
CheeseWej 1lb Plastic ant Wedge Teamd20 4885071
Doom Stone V1 1lb Plastic Ant Vertical spinner kmcelroy 3297944
Eureka 1lb Plastic ant Wedge Teamd20 4800332
Flapjack 1lb Drum spinner shultiskevin 3160354
Future Killer 1lb Vertical drum altapowderdog 3793747
Half-SMEEEEEEEEEEEE 1lb Long split wedge TheN00b 4675230
LifeSteal 1lb Plastic Ant Horiz spinner Posey 4910548
Mega Looon V1 1lb Vertical spinner thesaxmachine
MI 1lb Full-body spinner RattlerRobotics 2828234
Mr. Roomba 1lb Plastic Ant Ring spinner Kylellrc 3170974
Mr. Twister 1lb Plastic Ant option Vertical spinner AdamDC 1401358
Plastique 1lb Shell spinner AdamDC 2813722
Simple Ant Weight Wedge 1lb Wedge mightygrom 3962507 Demobot
Tiger Shark V5 1lb Horizontal spinner thesaxmachine 3819420
Tiger Shark V6 1lb Horizontal spinner thesaxmachine
WejFu 1lb Plastic Ant Wedge Teamd20 4843171
Mega Don G V2 3lb Plow thesaxmachine
Munchkin 3lb Drum spinner Creative_Instigation 3731962
Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly Mk6 3lb Undercutter spinner TeamMagicalLipoFire 3179067
Vector 3lb Horizontal spinner Endbots 3917039
Vertex 3lb Vertical spinner Proxy303 4741317
Vertigo 3lb Vertical spinner Insertbattlebotsjokehere 4241833
Deadlift 1.5kg Lifter Noursicus 4232399
Plastic Donk 1.5kg Wedge Noursicus 4230265
Razor 1.5kg Horizontal saw AlexKorvin 5022333
Wall Chaser 1.5kg Vertical saw AlexKorvin 4967207
Mars Attacks (itself) unknown Shell spinner shultiskevin 3160993
Combat Robot 2.0 unknown Drum spinner altapowderdog 1688510