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Development of a mobile 3D printer and comparative evaluation against traditional gantry systems
Abdullah Alhijaily1, Abdulrahman Alqarni2, Zekai Murat Kilic3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Taibah University, Taibah, Saudi Arabia.
Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing
|July 18, 2025
Summary
Mobile robots offer a solution for large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) by overcoming the workspace limitations of fixed robots. This study introduces an accurate mobile 3D printer that achieves high-quality results comparable to traditional gantry systems.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Additive Manufacturing
- Materials Science
Background:
- Fixed robots in additive manufacturing (AM) have limitations in workspace and mobility.
- Mobile robots offer greater flexibility for large-scale printing and hazardous environments.
- Existing mobile robots often struggle with positional accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an accurate mobile robot system for material extrusion AM.
- To detail the design and components of the mobile 3D printer.
- To rigorously compare the performance of the mobile printer against gantry systems.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel mobile robot for material extrusion AM.
- Detailed analysis of the mobile 3D printer's design and components.
- Comparative study of part quality, accuracy, and mechanical properties against gantry systems.
Main Results:
- The mobile 3D printer produced parts comparable to gantry systems in overall quality and shape fidelity.
- Achieved positional accuracy below 0.5 mm, exceeding the state-of-the-art for mobile 3D printing.
- Outperformed existing mobile plastic 3D printing robots in both quality and accuracy.
Conclusions:
- The proposed mobile robot system significantly advances the capabilities of mobile additive manufacturing.
- This system provides a viable alternative to fixed robotic systems for large-scale and complex AM applications.
- The achieved accuracy and quality demonstrate the potential of mobile robots in high-precision manufacturing.
