Microscope

In my first few weeks at Waag I started printing parts of the OpneCU2 microscope. It is an open source building block setup. With the block I am printing the goal is a microscope, but the OpenCU2 project has other boxes that can be added together to display different optical experiments. This can be used as a learning tool and to get experience some quantum experiments such as interference patterns and the effect of polarization filters.

Now on to the microscope:

Analog microscope

There are different verion, but I will be crating the analog microscope by using the General assembly guide on their github.

Parts needed:

• 8x baseplate and cube setup
• 1x Module: mechanical Z-Stage
• 1x Module: Sample holder
• 2x Module: Mirror 45°
• 1x Module: Eyepiece with Smartphone Holder
• 2x Extra cubes for stability

Step 1: Print the pieces

1st print: Attempted to print 2x baseplates, 2x bases, 2x cubes. One of the base layers failed. Did not clean the bed. Print stopped. add image

2nd attempt: Attempted to print 1x baseplate, 1x base, 1x cube. Cleaned bed. The base-layers failed. Print stopped add image

3rd attempt: Attempted to print 1x baseplate, 1x base, 1x cube. Cleaned bed. Failed. Again. Base-layer of cube struggles on corner.

4th attempt: Attempted to print 1x baseplate, 1x base, 1x cube. Did not clean bed. Works. Should add brim for next print for stability and to make the first layer more reliable. Successful. PLA, 20% infill, gyroid infill, Duration 4:08.

add image

Print 5 3x base puzzle pieces. Printed with brim PLA, Changed from 0.15 to 0.20 to increase production speed. Note: Next print without brim. The brim makes the first layer more reliable, but makes the post-work take longer as the pieces fit together snugly, and the added leftover-brim gets in the way and needs to be pulled off. Now I still had to force the pieces together and will need to carefully take them apart and sand down the edges.

add image

Print 6 4x Base puzzle. Printed without brim. Warning: Thermal Anomaly Tried: Closing the door. Suggested by Henk. Happened because of unexpected temperature measured. Suggested it could happen because of close proximity to a window. The room was quite cold. Print: Complete

Print 7: 4x Cube lids. Printed withot Brim. 20% infill. Gyro,

Print 8: 2x Cube lids. No brim. 20% infill. Gyro.

Print 9: 3x Cubes bodies. Brim. 20%infill. Gyro. Warning: Thermal analogy - Door was closed. Tried opening it. Got worse. Closed the doors. Would recommend having Henk do it. The machine respects him. Warning: Print fan error. Had to stop print at 73%

Print 10 1x sample holder & 1x sample clamp. No brim. 20% infill. Gyro. 46 min. Warning: thermal anomaly. Forgot to close the doors. The office is cold in January. It's still beeping.... Could be due to new fan part (after melting last week). Will try to calibrate.

Print 11 1x cube. 1h36m. cleaned plate. Thermal calibrated machine last night. No thermal anomalies so far. Keeping the doors closed. The office temp unchanged. Print successful.

Print 12 1x cube. 1h 36m. Did not clean the plate. Forgot to remove first line form last print. Seems fine.

Print 13 1x Smartphone plate. 1h 40m.

Print 14: 2x mirror holders.

Print 15: 1xobjective mount, 1x gear, 1x insert eyepiece. 1h.

Print 16: 1x cube body. 1h 39m.

Print 17: 1x Z-mechanic. 4h40m. First failed. The first layer did not stick despite the plate having been cleaned.

Print 18: 1x Z-mechanic. 4h40m. With organic supports. Plate cleaned. Print fan error. Not completed.

Print 19: 1x Z-mechanic. 4h40m. With organic supports. Plate cleaned. Print fan error.

Print 20: 1x Z-mechanic. 4H40m. With organic supports.

Print xxxx: I have lost track of how many prints I have tried. Here followerd a lot of fan errors: solution: Henk pushed the wires. Problems witht he first layer not sticking. Tried calibrating the bed. Still it did not stick good. Moved the print to the side. Got pulled off. Moved it a bit back. Cleaning plate in between every print.