This article deals with the adjustment of a 3D printer for laser engraving and material cutting. The print head can be fitted with a solid laser diode module, which achieves a compact size while retaining its useful power. Two paths lead to the use of such a concept. It is possible to equip the existing print head with a module, which also brings a number of disadvantages such as, for example, the reduction of the printing space or the need for a suitable mounting design. A more elegant solution is to consider this in the design of a 3D printer and design a system to exchange the print heads for 3D printing and laser engraving. Such a solution allows full utilization of the workspace and simple installation of the effector for the required type of work. According to the installed power of the laser diode, it is possible not only to engrave but also cut material such as thin wood, veneer or acrylic glass. The use of such a machine is not only for graphic elements but for the creation of various stencils, boxes or simple models, which can be made up of plastic-burning pieces. The laser module is controlled by a driver, which is designed for the device. This is connected to a 3D printer control board. It is, therefore, necessary for the control board to have at least two pins, which can be controlled after adjusting the control firmware. Most laser modules are normally equipped with an adjustable lens, which is used to concentrate the focus of a laser for the given distance against the worktop. Thus, the modified 3D printer can perform its function as a multi-purpose CNC machine, while a basic platform similar for both devices is used.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The paper deals with the problem of water separation from a mixture of wet loose material using a worm, or auger, dewaterer, whose working element is a full auger with variable thread pitch, rotating in a fixed trough. The extrusion of water from the wet material suspension, consisting of a mixture of mineral wool tufts and granules, is effected in the auger dewaterer by entraining and compressing the wet bulk material through the threads, the varied pitch of the conical screw, and the rotation of the auger.The thread faces and thread edges of an improperly designed screw of the auger dewaterer by Advanced Metal Powders s.r.o. showed notable wear from the applied pressure of the packed wet bulk material (passing through the threads of the different pitch of the conical auger). Finding the cause of the severe abrasion and preventing excessive further wear of the auger was the subject of theoretical calculations and experimental verification tests, whose main conclusions are presented in this paper. The paper gives the relations that allow calculation of the volume of bulk material in individual sections of the auger dewaterer. The calculated values from these relationships, were verified and compared with the values read from the 3D CAD system for designing SolidWorks Premium 2012 SP 5.0 models.The percentage compression values of the loose material in the threads of differential pitch of the conical auger of the unsuitably designed auger-screw dewaterer by Advanced Metal Powders s.r.o. allowed us to define recommendations that, applied, would ensure malfunction-free operation of the auger-screw dewaterer.