Open5x

Open source 5-axis 3D printing system

At present, many people are unable to access 5-axis 3D printing due to the unavailability of hardware and software for personal use. Commercial multi-axis CNC machines and robotic arms are not designed specifically for additive manufacturing, and their firmware does not support standard 3D printing functions. Moreover, even the most affordable 5-axis machine still costs significantly higher than the most expensive desktop 3D printers in the market, which makes it prohibitively expensive for personal use. On the other hand, community engagement has been the primary driving force behind the widespread adoption of 3D printing in various industries. Through collaborative development, 3D printers have become more affordable, functional, and user-friendly.

Similarly, 5-axis 3D printing could also benefit from the open-source community to accelerate its development and growth.Open5x is a project that draws inspiration from open-source machines for personal fabrication. The project demonstrates how a popular off-the-shelf 3-axis 3D printer can be upgraded to 5-axis 3D printing, enabling more independent makers to take advantage of the benefits of conformal 3D printing.

Github Repo

Papers

5-axis multi-material 3D printing of curved electrical trace

Freddie Hong, Borut Lampret, Connor Myant, Steve Hodges and David E Boyle. 2023. Additive Manufacturing Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2023.103546

Open5x: Accessible 5-axis 3D printing and conformal slicing

Freddie Hong, Steve Hodges, Connor Myant, and David E Boyle. 2022. In Extended Abstracts of the CHI 2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3491101.3519782

Videos

Open5x Developments

Prusa i3 MK3S

Freddie Hong adapted the very first version of Open5x for the Prusa i3 MK3S printer, which was the initial prototype demonstrating the possibility of converting a conventional 3D printer into a 5-axis 3D printer.

E3D Toolchanger

This version of Open5x, developed by BrendonBuilds, has been seamlessly integrated into E3D's toolchanger system, enabling automated multi-axis and multi-material 3D printing

Voron

This highly compact and precise version of Open5x for Voron, developed by BrendonBuilds, has been seamlessly integrated into the popular open-source Voron hardware, allowing for exceptional 3D printing accuracy