Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

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daniel_reetz
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Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

One of the more interesting things that's happened since I've been at Disney Research is that I got to see some parts cut on a waterjet cutter. These machines are pretty incredible. They use 65,000 PSI water laced with garnet to pierce and cut metal. The finish of the final parts is really good -- pretty much ready to use. The kerf is comparable to the laser cutter.

After seeing a waterjet thing cut metal, I was inspired to try it out as a book scanner manufacturing technology. Though the setup fees are very expensive (about $150 for any one job), after that it is possible to cut many more parts relatively cheaply. I would like to build a new scanner to replace my old "3rd generation" scanner, which is currently broken. It is broken because of abuse it received at my last talk in Boston (someone moved it by grabbing the platen and destroyed the electronics). Since this is the second or third time it has broken, and I need a new book scanner, I'm interested in trying something new.

My specific design goals are presently:
1. Manufactured from 3/16" aluminum.
2. Collapses into a sheet, or very flat.
3. Runs on any power source, including a car battery.
4. Reproducible by all with minimal tools (in this case, probably a soldering iron and tap set).
5. Switchable or field replaceable glass/plastic platen.
6. LED lighting.
7. Designed for A590s, but flexible enough to accommodate most compact Canon cameras.

I am giving myself two weeks and $500 to realize the first prototype. I will post progress here as I make it, and I could use your ideas.

Job 1 is to disassemble my beloved "3rd gen" scanner and remove the electronics from it. It will be sad, but good. I will also try to document the electronics for the LED lighting thread that no one ever really finished.
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daniel_reetz
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

daniel_reetz wrote:3. Runs on any power source, including a car battery.
The idea here is to make this scanner suitable for use in disaster conditions or in third world countries.

At this point in time, I am thinking the best way to do this would be to use a power supply like this one -- which can run on any AC voltage, and kick out some serious current:

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16014+PS

But then also include a DC-DC converter, perhaps as a second stage. The DC-DC converter needs to be fairly beefy to handle the LEDs, but several options from Vicor and SynQor exist. Datasheets attached. I am going to contact some reps tomorrow and see what I can see. If anyone has experience using DC-DC converters, please tell me what you know.

I am tempted to design the thing such that the DC-DC converter is always engaged -- so there is a power supply brick, which plugs into banana plugs (followed by DC-DC) and then a set of jumper cables with banana clips that plug into the same jack.
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JonEP
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by JonEP »

daniel_reetz wrote: The idea here is to make this scanner suitable for use in disaster conditions or in third world countries.
Hi Dan,

Not sure I can help with your exact request, but have a general comment on your approach. I worked in Cambodia for a long time (years), living and conducting research in a village with no electricity. I went through several iterations on my car battery power source. Basically I needed to power a laptop and a light, and recharge my gps, cell phone and camera battery from time to time. The same components, more or less, as the scanner (next up: georeferenced book scanning!). Based on that long experience, I'd warn you away from DC - AC converters where possible. It's inefficient to convert DC to AC, especially when you will usually convert the power back to DC again. Furthermore, in my experience the DC to AC converters often burn out, and there are no parts available in the area where you intend to use your machine. (As a side note, often there are on-the-ground solutions, since local people also often have a need for DC to AC conversion.)

I'd urge you to go with DC to DC for the entire operation. For a good supplier of DC to DC converters, who do custom tips and amp/volt combinations, check out Lind Electronics. For your LED lights, there are DC-powered versions, eg., here. If you go with DC to DC, your battery will keep a charge much longer. I kept mine charged with a solar panel, though, and that's really the way to go. I found solar panels to be more expensive than I expected, but once you're up and running there are no inputs except a new battery every year or so. I found that using a standard "hard" solar panel was the best, even though it is bulky and requires some care for transport. The flexible solar panels are very expensive on a per-watt basis, and you need a pretty big one, so it will be a question of which agency is paying the bills! I think I had a 50 watt panel ($250 for a standard one, $350 for flexible), which was adequate for my needs. The solar setup is very easy-- you need one or two panels and a surge regulator, and some alligator clips.

Regarding lighting and all else, I'd also suggest that using local alternatives will always be the best way to go. In a disaster, or indeed in any rural or under-served area, shipping and distribution are problematic, getting replacement parts is a matter of weeks, etc. My comments here are based on your indication that you want to use a car battery, which indicates a very small scale intended use. In many situations, like disaster relief, agencies in the field are using generators to produce power, so no car battery is necessary, and in that situation you want to use AC all the way.
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

JonEp, that was hugely helpful, thank you.

I just got off the phone with Mike from Lind Electronics, who explained the DC-DC converter technology for me.

Things I learned:

Though the rated input range is 11 to 16V, the actual shutdown voltage is between 10 and 10.5V. A near-dead car battery will be about 11-11.5V, so this, in principle, will work.

It is possible to get an adapter with a wider input range, and I am considering this option so that it can function with military vehicles/batteries (often 24V). These units, though they are spec'd to run from 12-32V, actually run down as low as the others, it's just the certification that makes them give that range. So they'll cut off around 10.5V as well.

A charged car battery under load but without a contributing alternator or generator should give out about 12.5V.

The price range for these devices, fitted with bare cords, is between $120 and $150. Price breaks occur at 100 units.
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

This is the device recommended to me:

http://www.lindelectronics.com/cgi-bin/ ... il_product

I am going to buy one and test it with my own car battery.

edit: i'm going to buy the wide input range module. Part number PA 1580-1642

http://www.lindelectronics.com/cgi-bin/ ... C_Adapters
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daniel_reetz
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

Hmm, I think I made a mistake. For some reason, I thought that the input voltage to my MOSFET switcher/LED array was 15v... but my schematics all read 20. I need to get the datasheets and redo the math.

if it turns out that the necessary voltage is 20V (and I believe that to be the case), I will instead order this one:

http://www.lindelectronics.com/cgi-bin/ ... C_Adapters
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daniel_reetz
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

In order to keep things running in really harsh conditions, I'll probably just leave the DC-DC converter in the system at all times. So it will go either:

From line power (110-250V) to DC-DC converter to LEDs/cams/etc;

or

From car battery to DC-DC converter (bypass/DC mode) to cams/etc.

Though I normally favor linear supplies for their robust and simple nature, I think in this case a switcher is smarter because of their very wide input range. This is the sort of switcher I'm thinking about:

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16032+PS

It's designed for industrial environments, OK with convection cooling, and has enough beef to feed the DC-DC converter with a few amps.
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by daniel_reetz »

Disassembling the 3rd Gen Scanner -- including never-before-seen pics of the interior.

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StevePoling
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Re: Collapsible scanner made with waterjet technology.

Post by StevePoling »

Take a look at the Baygen hand-crank radios. They were designed for use in 3rd-world locales where car batteries may not be available.
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