Читать книгу 3D Printing of Foods - C. Anandharamakrishnan - Страница 23

The motherboard is the heart of any 3D printer, responsible for coordinating the motion of components like the extruder, print bed, motors, and sensors. End stops are provided at all the carriages that act as sensors and allow 3D printers in identifying printing locations along the three axes, preventing it from moving past its limit otherwise it could result in hardware damages (Horvath 2014b). An interface arrangement of liquid crystal display (LCD) replicating rapid prototyper (REP RAP) full graphics smart controller is provided for controlling the printing process. Firmware refers to a set of computer programmes and instructions that connects the software with hardware (Horvath and Cameron 2015). The integration of software with hardware is detailed in the subsequent sections. A 3D printer with an LCD user interface can work as a standalone machine (using an SD card), i.e., it can be controlled without connecting to the computer. Although there are different kinds of user interfaces, the most common one is a basic LCD interface operated via a knob/dial. The printer can be operated with both LCD interface as well as universal serial bus (USB) assisted interface system connected with computer. Based on the working capacity and build size, the power requirement will vary. Often the printing process was carried out by connecting the printer to a computer via a USB cable. Files can be transferred and read either through an onboard controlling unit or through a USB external interface with a computer or through both of these (Horvath 2014a). The user interface/controller allows the user to send machine‐readable computer codes to the 3D printer and assists in changing some of the parameters during run time and move the print head along the X/Y/Z‐axis. Most of the 3D printers are lab‐scale and can be operated at a power supply of 110 V/230 V AC, 50/60 Hz.