Monday, February 09, 2026

 

Introducing PIKA - Print In-place Kinematic Assembly

So here's what RepRapMicron stuff I've been working on. This is a replacement for the XY Table that prints in place. No support, no fasteners. In theory...

 

You might recognise it from a prototype I made in TinkerCAD. The two big differences here are that this is an actual parametric model, and the lower framework that holds the X axis has staggered flexure pairs to make it more compact.

This is gloriously unfinished. I have to work in the X & Y drive flexures, devise a sane way of attaching the Stage to the top in a way that allows it to be levelled, and add framework to attach the X & Y Axis Drivers (possibly Z and microscopes too), and make a base to lift the flexures off the ground. Probably going to integrate the Y drive flexure into the Stage for now, much like the X is done on Maus.

I've put the OpenSCAD files up on github in maus_pika.scad

Also, now I have the RepRapMicron repaired after the flight back, I can start playing with Siddharth's joystick code. As soon as I get back from a brief stay in Wellington. Damn it's busy. 


Comments:
I think this is a really clever idea - eliminates the need to assemble the X and Y stages from multiple independently printed parts and instead uses a single printed object to do the same job. An innovative next step IMHO.
 
Also, the secondary purpose of designing μRepRap as a largely 3D printed structure is as a testbed for concepts for a micron-scale printed version. M0.03 screws are not listed on Digikey...
 
Meanwhile, my current experiment involving an actuated toolhead and some interesting new graphical stigmergy control ideas keeps running aground on the rocks of reality. I'm going to give the current iteration a few more days effort before scrapping it and trying a new approach. Hardware is hard, I much prefer software :-)
 
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