Testing a mobile 3D printer setup for demos, makerfaires, craft fairs, etc. Portable power supply, Printrbot Jr, filament, tools and power strip all fit in a small rolling cart. Print time ~22 min w/both printer and laptop drawing power off the battery. Have some ideas for extending printing time.
how long does it take to set up and how rigid is it? (The pipes look like they could sway by a tenth of a millimeter or more when the heavy head changes direction.)
Setup is probably 10 min from rolling up with the cart to warming up the printer. You could probably zip tie some things down and improve that. The PVC pipe is a spool holder for filament not an actual part of the printer. The original Printrbot Jr is great for demonstrations but between the older design and packing and unpacking the unit, don’t expect a ton of precision. Works fine for a stretchy bracelet or maybe a vase.
The Printrbots can be upgraded quite a bit to improve print quality. The newer Printrbot designs include quite a number of improvements with factory and custom upgrades possible.
Stretchy bracelet by emmet http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:13505
Final result: 110 min of 3D printing off a single charge. Great renewable energy, sustainable development or mobile 3D printer project idea.