A True Rotary 3D Printer?

I believe what you are describing would fit the SCARA-style RepRap Morgan design (http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Morgan), which has a cylindrical build volume bounded by the two motors that define the rotational position and the deflection from that rotational vector in order to provide (X,Y) coordinate values within the print volume. There are currently three basic lines of RepRap design development (delta, cartesian and polar), with variations in construction such as Z-axis variations (dropping build plate, raising extruder, or building upside-down from suspended build plate, etc). Delta RepRaps are like the common Rostock design, Cartesian models include the standard RepRaps like the Mendel and Prusa designs, while Polar variations include options like the recent Morgan design. All accomplish the same thing - they move the extruder between (X,Y,Z) coordinates to build one layer at a time. A few DLP liquid designs use voxels that are cured all at once, but otherwise extruders deposite material sequentially - whether through a heated nozzle, syringe, or through an extruder-screw enabled conduit. SLA printers work more like the DLP designs, curing a liquid polymer one layer at a time as the build plate settles to create each new layer, and really-fine resolution material comes from multi-photon systems that only cure material where two beams intersect within the liquid-filled 3D build space. Other deisgns are mostly granular binding using sprays of material or glue similar to ink-jet printers, or they rely on laminated cutouts of paper stacked atop one-another and glued together for the final design. Beyond that are the blown-powder or wire-feed systems that use lasers or electron beams to melt or sinter materials together at the point of the extruder.

VR,

Kalani Kirk Hausman

I believe what you are describing would fit the SCARA-style RepRap Morgan design (http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap_Morgan), which has a cylindrical build volume bounded by the two motors that define the rotational position and the deflection from that rotational vector in order to provide (X,Y) coordinate values within the print volume. There are currently three basic lines of RepRap design development (delta, cartesian and polar), with variations in construction such as Z-axis variations (dropping build plate, raising extruder, or building upside-down from suspended build plate, etc). Delta RepRaps are like the common Rostock design, Cartesian models include the standard RepRaps like the Mendel and Prusa designs, while Polar variations include options like the recent Morgan design. All accomplish the same thing - they move the extruder between (X,Y,Z) coordinates to build one layer at a time. A few DLP liquid designs use voxels that are cured all at once, but otherwise extruders deposite material sequentially - whether through a heated nozzle, syringe, or through an extruder-screw enabled conduit. SLA printers work more like the DLP designs, curing a liquid polymer one layer at a time as the build plate settles to create each new layer, and really-fine resolution material comes from multi-photon systems that only cure material where two beams intersect within the liquid-filled 3D build space. Other deisgns are mostly granular binding using sprays of material or glue similar to ink-jet printers, or they rely on laminated cutouts of paper stacked atop one-another and glued together for the final design. Beyond that are the blown-powder or wire-feed systems that use lasers or electron beams to melt or sinter materials together at the point of the extruder.

VR,

Kalani Kirk Hausman