2.1 OPEN Leaf
OPEN Leaf’s hardware is inexpensive and can be acquired from several
commercial sources. The frame was built using the open-source T-slot
aluminum beams (80/20 LLC., Columbia City, IN, USA) and can be bought
pre-cut or bought in bulk then cut down to size. The lead-screw track
system is a commercial product called C-Beam™ Linear Actuator
(openbuilds.com). The system includes the C-beam track, the gantry
plate, and a NEMA23 stepper motor. The bundle comes with detailed
instructions from OpenBuilds and designed for extended heavy-duty use. A
bracket used to convert from the 80/20 beams to the OpenBuild’s track
was 3D printed on a Prusa i3 MK3 (Prusa Research, Partyzánská, Czech
Republic). The camera used was the Allied Vision Mako G-503 (Allied
Vision, Stadtroda, Germany), a gigabit ethernet RGB camera that can
capture high-resolution images.
An open-source C# desktop application is used to control the machine.
The program has the ability to control several systems in parallel;
however, since each system requires an ethernet port, this can be a
bottleneck. The track system uses the open-source GRBL CNC mill g-code
parser to drive the lead screw system. The desktop application sends
manual g-code through an Arduino (arduino.cc), a hobbyist
microcontroller, to travel to capture images.