Who Needs a Belt 3D Printer When You Have a Treadmill?

a year ago

Belt 3D printers use a conveyor belt instead of a rigid bed, enabling infinite printing in the Y axis.
Ivan Miranda and Jón Schone converted a treadmill into an oversized belt 3D printer to print a full-size kayak.
Belt 3D printers print at an angle (usually 45 degrees) to complete layers properly without adhesion issues.
The treadmill-based printer required custom fabrication, including steel uprights and heavy-duty linear rails for the Z and X axes.
Large stepper motors and custom heat sinks were used to handle the weight and prevent overheating.
A scaled-up extruder with a 1mm nozzle was necessary to push the large amount of filament needed for the kayak.
The printer was controlled using a Duet 3 Main Board and a Duet 3 Tool Board connected via CAN-FD.
Despite challenges, the treadmill 3D printer was successful, and the kayak was showcased at Maker Faire Prague.

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