astronomy

Printrbot

Printrbot is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Printrbot rather than just read about it. In short: Printrbot is a 3D printer company created by Brook Drumm in 2011 and originally funded through Kickstarter. Printrbot printers use fused deposition modelling to manufacture 3-dimensional artifacts.

Key takeaways

Printrbot belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Printrbot to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Printrbot from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Printrbot is a 3D printer company created by Brook Drumm in 2011 and originally funded through Kickstarter. Printrbot printers use fused deposition modelling to manufacture 3-dimensional artifacts. Printrbot's older designs including STLs are publicly available on GitHub.

History Printbot was founded by Brook Drumm in 2011 as Printbot, Inc. Printrbot was the most funded technology project on Kickstarter when in December 2011, it raised US $830,827 through crowdfunding. It closed operations in 2018 due to "low sales". It resurfaced again in 2020 as Printbot, LLC with Drumm once again as the CEO. However, as of December 2024 both Brook Drumm's personal website as well as printrbot.com are unavailable.

Design and operation Models are printed by depositing molten ABS or PLA plastic filament onto a hotbed from a print head which moves about the X and Z axes using stepper-motors, guided by metal threaded rods. The models to be printed are sent to the printer via a USB interface using specialized software such Repetier-Host (recommended by the manufacturer for use with newer printers) or Pronterface (recommended by the manufacturer at the time of Printrbot's initial launch).

Assembly Printrbot has sold both fully assembled printers and build it yourself kits.

Filament Printrbot models can print in ABS or PLA plastic filament which can be purchased from the official store or other sources. Printrbot models can be outfitted to accept 1.75 mm or 3.0 mm diameter filament. The filament is available in many colors. Although the Printrbot hotend and extruder system is advertised to work with PLA and ABS, it is also capable of extruding many other filaments. Printrbot sells "exotic" filaments such as Nylon, Ninjaflex, and Carbon fiber-reinforced PLA.

Hardware All Printrbots are controlled by nearly similar open source circuit boards called Printrboards. The Printrboard has experienced several revisions and is identified by revision letters printed on them. For example, the most recent official revision of the Printrboard is Rev F, which can be purchased separately. The Printrboard can have many types of firmware loaded on it, but they are sold with an open-source firmware from the RepRap Project called Marlin. The printer is controlled through a USB interface. Printrbot had an exclusive arrangement with Carl Ubis to use his Ubis Hot Ends in the Printrbot printers. A hot end is the part of the 3D printer that melts the filament and extrude it out of the nozzle to make your 3D print.

Software Printrbot does not come with any software and the official getting started guide recommends using the freeware program Cura 1.5 with Pronterface to interface with the printer. A freeware program with 3D visualization called Repetier-Host is also used. Cura is one software option for driving your Printrbot printer. The Printrbot interprets G-code produced by a computer program called a slicer, turning commands into outputs for four stepper motors, heated bed and extruder outputs, and a cooling fan port. Import 3D models (oftentimes STL files from Thingiverse or user created in apps like Autodesk Fusion). The user can rotate and scale the 3D model to fit the virtual print bed. They can then convert the 3D model into G-Code that the printrbot can understand. The user can then print directly to their printrbot via USB or use a SD or miniSD card to transfer the print file.

Printrbot in education At the beginning of 2015, Printrbot announced two new initiatives to help schools gain access to 3D printers. The first program, named Printrbot Ambassadors, let registered schools borrow an assembled Printrbot Simple Metal with an Alu handle, spool holder and 1 kg of filament for a month for cost of shipping. After the month, the school had the option to buy the 3D printer at a reduced price or to send it back to Printrbot. The second program allowed schools to buy a Printrbot Simple Metal at a discount. Users needed to buy through a school and agree to be featured on a public listing. As of August 2, 2015, approximately 126 schools and universities were using Printrbot 3D printers.

Models

Current models

Printrbot Pro On May 14, 2015, Brook Drumm introduced the Printrbot Pro, a large-scale 3D printer. According to Drumm, the Printrbot Pro has a build volume of about 2 cubic feet, a heated bed, a dual-extruder setup with the ability to print multiple materials. The printer also offers an optional enclosed build chamber, an LCD panel, a SD card slot as well as LED lighting.

Printrbot Play and Play v2

Discontinued models

See also List of 3D printer manufacturers

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Printrbot

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Printrbot claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Printrbot before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Printrbot ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Printrbot

In research: Printrbot appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Printrbot in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Printrbot is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2011 establishments in California, 3D printer companies, Companies based in Placer County, California, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Printrbot outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Printrbot in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Printrbot means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Printrbot out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Printrbot in simple terms?

Printrbot is a 3D printer company created by Brook Drumm in 2011 and originally funded through Kickstarter. Printrbot printers use fused deposition modelling to manufacture 3-dimensional artifacts.

Why does Printrbot matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Printrbot?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Printrbot.