{"id":54,"date":"2025-11-21T23:21:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T04:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northforge3d.com\/forge-updates\/?p=54"},"modified":"2025-11-22T22:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T03:55:11","slug":"2020-aluminum-extrusion-why-were-building-a-trident-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northforge3d.com\/forge-updates\/deuce-updates\/2020-aluminum-extrusion-why-were-building-a-trident-first\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Aluminum Extrusion \u2014 Why We\u2019re Building a Trident First"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As we set out to design the Deuce, we had a few simple goals in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the 3D printing industry right now is chasing multi-material systems, MMUs, and multi-toolheads. Those things matter\u2014and the Deuce is designed for a dual-gantry architecture that can integrate all of them. But our ambition goes further: we want to push FDM itself forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We want a printer that is more accurate than anything on the market, a machine that delivers resin-like quality from molten filament. Before we can challenge fluid dynamics and material science, we need an absolutely rigid and perfectly accurate mechanical foundation. And if you look at the marketplace today, nothing truly meets that bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we\u2019re building it. The Deuce is that machine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as we moved deeper into development, we learned something important: progress isn\u2019t linear. Sometimes a simple component\u2014aluminum extrusions\u2014can slow you down, force a rethink, or even shift your entire path forward. In our case, it led us to build a Trident first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Bottleneck: Aluminum Extrusions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Our CAD is nearly complete. Our design decisions are narrowing. We\u2019ve sourced custom motors. We\u2019ve secured manufacturing partners. Most of the remaining problems are solvable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then we arrived at the one component that should have been<\/em> simple: aluminum extrusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
From the beginning, one of our core commitments has been sourcing every part we can in North America. Every component should be stocked here, available here, and ship within a day. That includes the frame\u2014arguably the most important structural element of any printer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we began talking to extrusion suppliers across the continent, we found ourselves staring down a list of critical questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Warp \/ Straightness<\/strong> Is the profile perfectly straight across long lengths? Will we find out it isn\u2019t\u2014after ordering hundreds of meters?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Extrusion Wall Consistency<\/strong> Will corner brackets align? Will belt tension remain uniform? Will the gantry stay square?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Cut Accuracy & Squareness<\/strong> Are the ends truly square? Are the lengths precise to the tenth?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Surface Finish<\/strong> Is the anodizing smooth and consistent? Does it scratch too easily? Will we see color variation between batches?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Rigidity<\/strong> Can the profile withstand the forces of 2\u20134 gantries moving at up to 15,000 mm\/s\u00b2 of acceleration?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Ordering a massive batch of custom, non-standard profiles only to discover issues afterward would be a disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we stepped back and asked the right question: How do we test suppliers, validate quality, and refine our process without committing to a proprietary extrusion profile?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Answer: Build a Trident First<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We could redesign the Deuce around a more common extrusion\u20142040 or 3030, something every supplier can make. But that would mean stepping away from our vision and starting over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, we realized something better: We already have access to a proven, rigid, well-engineered platform that uses the most common profile on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Voron Trident.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not the Deuce\u2014we\u2019ll share teasers this spring\u2014but it offers everything we need for this phase of the journey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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A rock-solid, proven motion system<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A 2020 extrusion frame that every<\/em> North American supplier manufactures<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A perfect platform to evaluate straightness, cut accuracy, finish quality, and rigidity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A real-world test bed for our dual-gantry system and electronics choices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly: 2020 is ubiquitous.<\/strong> We can order it from any supplier on the continent and evaluate their quality before asking them to retool an entire production line for custom profiles that only we will use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Motors were easy by comparison\u2014our suppliers didn\u2019t need to retool their extrusion machines (million + dollar machines) to create our custom 0.9\u00b0 steppers with integrated lead screws. Extrusions are another world entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we\u2019re building a Trident. A dual-gantry Trident. The most accurate Trident we can build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you\u2019ll be able to watch the entire process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, we\u2019re leaning toward opening up the entire Deuce project as well. Everything we learn, every improvement we make, every step forward\u2014we\u2019ll share it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Forge is Lit.<\/strong> More to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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