Vitamins

Vitamin?

RepRap machines are intended to evolve to the point at which they will be able to make a great majority of their own parts.

See Development Pathway. However, there are a few parts which it won't be able to make... at least for now.

In RepRap jargon, a vitamin (also called an "imported part" or "non-printed part") is anything that you need to make a RepRap, which a RepRap cannot itself make.

Currently, This list includes the following: Simple List of Non-Printed Parts

   Fasteners
   Platforms

   Grease
   Standard electronic chips such as microcontrollers and optical sensors
   Standard electrical wiring, USB connectors, LEDs and other electronics components, etc.
   Standard electrical PCBs -- at least until we have a breakthrough in Automated Circuitry Making
   Motors (Stepper, Servo, and DC alike)
   Power Supply
   Bolts -- though these can be reduced in count with design accomodations. (one RepRap design doesn't have any nuts or bolts or threaded rod).
   Ø8 mm steel rods (smooth rods and threaded rods)

Beyond that, all of the structural and mechanical parts should eventually be printable with FDM Rapid Prototyping technology. Except perhaps the hand that assembles it... for now anyway.

Initially we were under the impression that, in order for everyone that wants one to have a RepRap, we needed to design "the" RepRap from "components that are available worldwide". More recently some researchers have been experimenting with the idea that maybe it would be better (lower cost, stronger, etc.) to have several different RepRap designs to adapt to whatever local materials are available --

   bamboo where available (Bamboo Printer, etc.)
   plywood and SAE components in North America (Paul Bunyan, SAE Mendel, SAE Prusa Mendel, etc.)
   steel and aluminum in Australia
   ice in Antarctica (IceRap)
   etc.