this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
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Showerthoughts

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How long until I can 3D print a 2D printer? (lemmy.world)
submitted 8 months ago by badcommandorfilename@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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[–] runwaylights@lemmy.world 53 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Long. Printers are pretty complicated machines, because they have to work with a natural product that shrinks, expands, folds, rolls itself up and sticks to other pieces of paper. I once heard a printer engineer explain that they use small puffs of air to lift the paper, but because there's also heat involved in the printing process that the paper sometimes rolls itself up or expands which causes jams etc. And I'm sure there's more going on.

Which isn't to say that HP aren't bastards.

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If we shoot for a much more primitive printer, we’re pretty close.

Something that uses a pen or quill to draw on an unmoving sheet of paper. Kind of like how CNC routers are set up. The gantry moves along the full length and width of the paper.

After that, you can print everything outside the electronics and the quill. Right?

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 35 points 8 months ago

That's just a plotter. Replace the extruder nozzle with a pen and you're there.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Paper shrinks and expands? What?

[–] Hjalamanger@feddit.nu 20 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Everything shrinks and expands as you heat/cool it. It's called physics and it's a fucking mess. The more you learn the weirder it gets 😵‍💫

[–] Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

God damn physics some much for the immaculate plan. Why did god invent physics anyway?

/s