A treadmill was sourced and then a large-scale 3D printer was built on top of it, allowing the creation of an unlimited build volume for the machine.
This was achieved by first mounting linear rails on the treadmill’s frame, then adding a gantry for the printer’s head and mounts for the stepper motors before connecting all the electronics.
The printer was then used to print hot plastic on the treadmill surface, successfully creating a massive girder over two meters long.
This build was questioned in 2017, with the concept of an infinite build volume printer, but it has taken some time to become more mature and practical.
Such large-scale printers are still fairly uncommon, so this build is an interesting development in prototyping technology.
