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The Ben Heck Team has finally reached the conclusion of the Super Glue Gun project. Ben puts the finishing touches on the design using Autodesk Fusion 360, prints the parts, and does final assembly on a proof of concept. Does the super glue gun live up to his name? Does it have what it takes to make it on the consumer market? Let us know in the comments below! |
Ben does some more design on the gun barrel using Autodesk Fusion 360. After getting a few pieces in place, along with front and rear wood to hold the barrel in place, he thinks he's found a way to get the wires through. He's made a few changes to the motor cap container such as putting a groove into the bottom of it. That should be enough to get the AC and temperature sensor wires out of the barrel. He'll need to make a place for the motor drive because wires take more space then you think. You have to be sure to account for them in your design, including any folds, loops or bends they might do. He does a section analysis to “peel back” the surface and ensure the design works with the motor driver. He’ll print the four halves separately, the two halves of the barrel along with the two halves of the barrel, and glue them together so they represent what a solid piece would look like.
On the front hot end of the gun, you have the AC barrel heater along with the temperature sensor. He’ll design it with assembly in mind rather than just glue and screw it together. Kapton tape is used to insulate the parts from heat as well as electricity. Everything fits together once assembled. This includes the AC wires, the sensor wires, and the motor drive wires coming out of the back. This will all go into the base of the handle where all the electronic controls are contained. Once he glues the halves together he’ll have a completed prototype. He’ll have to also make some adjustments to allow for an opening for the programming port. Once assembly is complete he’ll test make sure it works before completing the build. Ben does a motor test to ensure that everything is wired correctly. This is a proof of concept as the 3D printed plastic won’t last long under the heat. He’ll need to change the temperature profile. To do this he’ll re-extrude the glue, see what its temperature is, and then scale the thermistor settings to match that. After doing an extrude test, Ben presents the final reveal! Along the way to making a really cool glue gun they’ve gotten hands on experience with triacs, touch sensors, and new microcontrollers.