Tuesday, December 09, 2025
First Attempt At Folding Structure
One idea for fabricating structures with RepRapMicron is to print them flat with hinges, and fold them up into place. I thought I'd try it out now I can print ... things using 2.5μm layers. So I took those badly printed linked 400μm squares from the first image and just gave it a go manually under the microscope. The result didn't end up like origami, more like a crumpled tissue, but it demonstrates the principle and I learned a lot about how I'm going to need to do it in an automated way:
I didn't mind sacrificing the awful print, which is just as well as I ended up breaking or damaging both hinges. The point I used to deposit resin in the joint to lock it was way too large. I needed a static prop to lean things on, so I put a hypodermic in a clothes peg. Even so I missed my 90 degree target by a bit - need longer hinges.. Curing the resin was done with a hand-held lamp. I tore parts some, so manipulation tabs would be a good idea.
Might make a few changes and try for a full cube, simultaneously improving print quality. Will need to make a slightly finer print probe at some point, and possibly a manual probe for putting resin on joints. Also, drinking less coffee may help.
