Hi
I'm running a 3d bioprinter which runs via air pressure. Presently all control of air pressure is manual via a valve set in between the printer and the wall. The printer itself actually also has a valve, where you can set the pressure for the individual print heads. I can change the speed at which the printer prints but using g-code, but would also like to be able to do this for the air pressure. There is, in fact, an M-code dedicated to changing pressure, though I've never seen it used for normal 3d printers. Is there an electronic actuator/valve I can buy which is controlled via the computer?
Hi,
I don't thing that you can control the air pressure by using g-code.
As you mentioned above, there are some M-codes (see link below), like: M128: Extruder Pressure PWM that can be used for adjustment of the internal extruder pressure (аs indicated in the link between 0 and 255) and M126 / M127 commands to control open/close the extruder's valve (if it has one), but they relate more to the 3D printers which work on the FFF processes. I'm not sure that these M-codes will work the same way with air pressure 3D printer, as in your case.
My recommendation is to contact with the manufacturer of the 3D bioprinter and discuss the possibilities of controlling the air pressure with them.
http://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M126:_Open_Valve
If you need to control the flow you will need a electronic controlled valve, but they are expensive
http://www.omega.com/pptst/FSV10.html
if it was just on/off you would be good with a solenoid valve.
You can make your own valve by hacking a manual flow valve and adding to it a servo or a stepper, but you would have to program the software on your printer board to actuate the servo on recieving the M code.
By the way you can cook up your own M-codes, there is a list of reserved M-codes you can use for your own implementations
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