Dynamic Modeling of a 3D Printer Based on a Four Arms Scara Mechanism

This work presents the dynamic simulation of a four arms SCARA (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot for Assembly) mechanism used in 3D printers in a multidisciplinary free software. Different extruder heads and motor supply voltage were simulated to show their impact on the construction of the printed part. To do the complete analysis of the printer, it is necessary to simulate the workflow to print a part. The steps of this workflow are part modeling, G-code generation, G-code translation, inverse kinematics analysis, motion translation, and dynamic analysis. After accomplishing these steps, the computation of the positioning error completes the analysis. The simulation showed that the supply voltage has the greater influence on the construction of the part. The extruder mass becomes relevant when the voltage is reduced. Simulation of the complete system also showed that electrical and mechanical components can be integrated in one model, although the behavior of components of one domain can restrict the simulation performance of the entire system.