¶ Assembly Guide
Note: Under construction! See issue https://gitlab.com/pipettin-bot/pipettin-grbl/-/issues/49.
This page will contain:
- BOM and shopping list.
- Instructions to fabricate custom parts.
- Instructions to assemble the robot and its tools.
- Link to learning resources ✅
- Update pictures ✅
- Update assembly guide (v2) in progress
- Required Knowledge ✅
- Number of people ✅
- Skills ✅
- Time ✅
- Tools ✅
About this page:- Structural Frame ✅
- Baseplate ✅
- Backpanel
- Motion System ✅
- Tool-changer in progress
- Tools & tool-posts in progress
- Electronics in progress
- Setup in progress
¶ Required skills and resources
- Patience.
- Time:
- About 10 days worth of afternoons (~40 hours).
- A lot of waiting, for 3D-prints and delivery of parts.
- Usage of workshop tools.
- Unless your supplier cuts all parts to the required lengths, you will need a cutting tool for metal (aluminum and steel), for example: angle grinder, saw, etc.
- General skills or intuition for crafting will be useful. Some parts require alignment, for which you might use a level tool, a carpenter's square, or custom jigs.
- It is important to know how to use measuring tools (calipers, measure tape) for different purposes (alignment, cutting, etc.).
- Superglue and a hot-glue gun can come in handy.
- Wiring electronics:
- Wire cutting, using heatshrink, very basic soldering (for soldering headers on long wires), etc.
- No custom PCBs are needed.
- Overall, nothing fancy, only Arduino-level stuff (i.e. dupont wires and headers).
- Basic 3D-printing:
- Slicing, printing, post-processing.
- Some parts may need minor sanding or lubrication. I use graphite powder.
- A 3rd party may print stuff for you.
- Suppliers:
- Although we used very common parts, you will have to find suppliers and deal with them.
- A shopping list is available, here.
- Manufacturing equipment or services.
- 3D printing.
- Laser cutting: only for the electronics case, this could be 3D-printed.
- CNC milling: for the baseplate, this could be laser-cut, or drilled by a skillful hand.
- Note: except for the 3D-printed parts, these services are not critical to the project, and can be omitted or replaced. For example, the removable baseplate system can be omitted, and the electronics case can be made with cardboard and hot glue.
¶ BOM
Note: Under construction. This BOM is far from finished.
You can find the current Bill of Materials here
¶ Step 1: Support frame
Follow the steps at Structural Frame
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Assemble a support structure for the XYZ parts, using 2020 aluminum profiles
Expected result:
¶ Step 2: Baseplate and platform curbs
Follow the steps at Baseplate
Briefly, throughout this section you will:
- Make the baseplate
- Print the platform aligners
- Test mounting some platforms.
- Place the baseplate onto the structural frame
Expected result:
¶ Step 3: Backpanel
Under development!
Follow the steps at Backpanel
Briefly, throughout this section you will:
- Make Pipettin Bot's Backpanel
- Attach it to the structural frame
Expected result:
Add image Backpanel real
¶ Step 4: Motion system
Follow the steps at Motion System
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Build and assemble the motion system
- Attach the motion system to the frame.
- Add the GT2 transmission belts to the CNC frame.
Expected result:
Motion system mounted on the structural frame
¶ Step 5: Tool-changer mechanism
Note: Under development!
Follow the steps at Tool-changer
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Build the tool-changer mechanism
- Attach a tool-changer interface to the main carriage.
Expected result:
Add image tool-changer real
¶ Step 6: Tools and tool-posts
Note: Under development!
¶ Micropipette tool
Follow the steps at:
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Build the two pipette tools (p20 and p200).
- Build the tool posts.
- Attach the tip-ejection post.
Expected result:
Baseplate, motion system, tool-changer and micropipette mounted on the structural frame.
¶ Step 7: Electronics
Note: Under development!
Follow the steps at Electronics
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Assemble and attach the electronics case.
- Attach limit switches and wire the motors.
- Manage cables.
- Wire the remaining connections (USB / GPIO).
Expected result:
¶ Step 8: Setup
Congratulations! You've finished the build 
Now it's time to setup the stuff!
Briefly, throughout this stage you will:
- Set up the Rapsberry Pi.
- Setup the Arduino with CNC firmware.
- Configure the CNC firmware.
- Adjust Vref on the stepper drivers.
- Run basic tests on the software and CNC firmware.
Follow the setup guide at Setup Guide
¶ Congrats!
You've built and setup a pipetting robot. Stay hydrated!
Now your robot needs to be told where pipettes and tubes are, how to place tips, discard them, and so on...
If you want to install the GUI and play it now, you may try going over the Installation Guide and the Usage Guide.
You can also proceed to the Maintenance Guide or the Calibration Guide.