Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: 3D printer fun with powder

At 04:47 AM 6/21/2007, you wrote:

>At the moment the 10mm roller cuts through the supply area nicely
>leaving a nice finish but the powder it pushes gets turned in to
>perfect little sausages and these roll over the build area without
>dropping in. Increasing rotation speed of the roller helps a bit but
>powder then tends to get pulled around with the roller and thrown
>backwards.
>
>So I'm going to a bigger roller, I think 7/8" was mentioned before
>anyway, I've picked up some 20mm aluminium tube that I'll polish up, I
>can always go to stainless later. I have a feeling the angle the
>roller makes with the surface will help and it will be more difficult
>for powder to find its way over the back of the roller.

Have you considered what is known as a doctor blade? Look up
"Gravure Doctor Blade" on Google (WITH the quotes) to see a small
number of references. Remove the quotes and see 95,000 of
them! With a properly set up doctor blade, the speed should be less
of an issue.


David G. LeVine
Nashua, NH 03060