Fab@Home:Choose Your Fabber
From Fab @ Home
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Welcome to the Fab@Home Catalog
Here you can select which model of Fab@Home unit you would like to build. For beginners, we recommend the Model 1. Advanced users can select alternative chassis components, tools, electronics, software to build up a more customized Fab@Home unit. As certain combinations become popular, we would like to freeze their design and give them a model number designation.
Model 2
 Model II |
The Fab@Home Model 2 was designed from the ground up for ease of construction and maintenance, simplicity, cost reduction, and better print performance compared to the Model 1.
The public release of the Model 2 is currently underway. CAD files and basic assembly instructions are available, see more information here:
Model 1
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The Model 1 is the original Fab@Home fabber.
It consists of:
- Model 1 Chassis
- Model 1 1-Syringe Tool
- Model 1 4-Axis Electronics
- Model 1 Firmware
- Model 1 Application
- Model 1 USB Drivers
- Model 1 Style options
The Model 1 is the first Fab@Home system. It includes everything necessary for basic, multimaterial desktop fabrication. It makes use of a basic "syringe pump" material dispensing tool, with disposable syringes to enable dispensing of a wide variety of materials. It uses "linear stepper motors" - stepper motors with lead screws attached - as the actuators, and has 4 axes of control - 1 for the syringe tool plunger, 1 for the Z axis (the vertical motion of the table on which parts are built), and 1 each for the X and Y axes to move the syringe tool along the paths required to build up a part layer by layer. The Model 1 Electronics include a 4-axis amplifier for the 4 stepper motors, an LPC-H2148 ARM7 microcontroller with USB interface, limit switches to sense when the X, Y, and Z axes are at the end of their motion ranges, and some (passive) interface components (a breakout board and cables). The cost of the materials required for the Model 1 is about US$2300 before shipping, using the current known lowest cost vendors, and placing all of the orders yourself. It is now possible to order a full kit of parts from a single source, at a slightly higher price than if you place individual orders yourself. Please see below:
Learn about the Model 1
If you would like to learn more about the Model 1, or would like to begin building your own, please go to:
Buy a Model 1 Kit
If you would like to skip much of the do-it-yourself stuff, and just buy your fabber (either as a completely assembled unit, or kit requiring assembly) please visit The NextFab Store.
Model 1 Variants
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