[SPEEDRE]

I have a cnc gantry router, using Mach 3 control and if I take out the router can I; one, install a printer head and the heated table can I then, print something?
Does Mach 3 work for printing?
Now comes the really hard part. I'd like to print using styrene rod !. Does it come in rolls like the ABS or the other PVA. How would one regulate the temperature for styrene?
Food for thought or, just impossible dreaming?

[skip20]

Yes you can, but it will be over built. Mach 3 will control it.
You woul nee to build the board to control the heat bed & themo.
Check You Tube, you will find a few on there.

[cffellows]

Couple of thoughts. The CNC gantry router has a lot more mass in the moving parts so I'm guessing it won't print nearly as fast as a 3D printer typically will. In addition to the hot end which melts and prints the plastic you'll also need an extruder, which is really a 4th axis that pushes the plastic through the hot end. The extruder also retracts the plastic when doing fast traverses without printing. Never heard of printing polystyrene. Don't know the melting temperature.

Chuck

[hoss2006]

You can get styrene filament here.
Polystyrene Filament
Hoss

[SPEEDRE]

O.K. Thank you very much this solves a great dilemma for me. Thanks again Hoss