After the Best Idea Cup is before the Best Idea Cup. Having impressed the jury with his ‘LaserDuo’ idea in 2018 and taken home the prize, Daniele Ingrassia presented his latest creation this year – BigFDM.
BigFDM is a 3D printer at the FabLab in Kamp-Lintfort, which – like the ‘LaserDuo’ before it – is to be made available as open source, meaning it will be freely accessible to everyone. The name BigFDM derives partly from the printer’s manufacturing method – Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) – and partly from its size. The idea was conceived by research assistant Daniele Ingrassia and student Dumitru Albot.
Unlike other printers on the market, the team is focusing on large parts. This makes it possible, for example, to produce moulds for large components, furniture or even prosthetics. Spare parts and prototypes can also be manufactured.
BigFDM can be offered at a lower cost than comparable large-scale 3D printers, assembled on site and adapted to suit specific uses. Ingrassia and Albot have made a build guide available at https://github.com/fab-machines/BigFDM. The first units are already in operation and are available to the general public, as well as to students and university staff.
