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Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Catflap

hi guys,

here my catflap, homebuilt PCB, Wifi controlled with App or via smartHome, isolated, with alarm and chipdetection, cat in/out detection etc..
Completely printed on my Prusa i3 MK2s in black Rigid.ink ASA.
Works like a charm, no drafts etc anymore.

And yes, wihout shame i copied the button design from my printer 😉

Rgds Vinc

P.s.:the silver shield was necessary as i drilled throught the door on the prototype..opening was to tight for a sensor 😀

Posted : 01/01/2018 5:34 pm
JeffJordan
(@jeffjordan)
Member Moderator
Re: Catflap

pretty cool.
obviously you've used the whole print surface available.
how difficult was printing it with ASA ?

dem inscheniör is' nix zu schwör...

Posted : 01/01/2018 5:59 pm
Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: Catflap

Yes, the lower frame is exactly the whole build area 😉 . One runs into all new problems when using the whole space.. but otherwise the flap would be too small for my big cats (Bengals).

Rigid ink ASA prints like a charm, when you have an enclosure. One just encounters light warping (especially at the 90 degree corners, could be prevented with round corners). With area for a brim I think one would have no warping at all with an enclosure.
Only problem I had was with layer cracking at the tunnel. I think that could be solved with one or two perimeter walls more.

I have parts outside since spring out of asa, all look like new. UV light and moisture do not matter at all.

And it can be polished and is great for mechanical parts.

Would be my everyday goto filament, just two problems: - fumes during printing and the need for an enclosure. And just few colors..

Rgds

Posted : 01/01/2018 6:17 pm
JeffJordan
(@jeffjordan)
Member Moderator
Re: Catflap

what's the temperature inside your enclosure during the print ?

dem inscheniör is' nix zu schwör...

Posted : 01/01/2018 8:30 pm
Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: Catflap

I measured 40 degree.

Posted : 01/01/2018 9:12 pm
Knickohr
(@knickohr)
Member Moderator
Re: Catflap

Great work !

Thomas

Posted : 02/01/2018 9:25 am
stefan.w5
(@stefan-w5)
Active Member
Re: Catflap

I'm curious (even though it's not entirely 3D print related, it does relate to your print and is likely useful for anyone going down a similar route) - what do you use to read the chips?

The only modules I found for 134 kHz are from an Australian company. I've seen suggestions to use an antenna for 125 kHz with less read distance, but that doesn't sound too great of an idea.

Posted : 02/01/2018 9:06 pm
Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: Catflap

@ Stefan: you got a PM, since totally not print related... 😀

Posted : 02/01/2018 9:43 pm
Jakub Dolezal
(@jakub-dolezal)
Member Admin
Re: Catflap

Damn I need this asap, my cat wants in/out like 10x a day 😆

Btw is it ok to share your creation on Prusa3D Pinterest?

Assembly manuals

/ Knowledge Base
The guy behind Prusa assembly manuals...

Posted : 08/01/2018 10:20 am
Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: Catflap

Of course, please share.
Right now i‘m developing V3, which will be cnc milled out of 1 piece. No display then, cause the app works flawlessly to control.

And Jakub, i know your problem. That was the reason for this thing in the first place. My cats mind was stronger than mine..

By the way, it detects blockages three ways and has an emergency clutch...so is complety cat safe.

Rgds Vinc

Posted : 09/01/2018 2:55 pm
Jakub Dolezal
(@jakub-dolezal)
Member Admin
Re: Catflap

Looking forward to see more 😯 This looks really promising. Just need to persuade my cat to use it 😆 😆 😆

Assembly manuals

/ Knowledge Base
The guy behind Prusa assembly manuals...

Posted : 10/01/2018 1:51 pm
Incalculable
(@incalculable)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: Catflap

Hi Jakub,
That‘s no problem at all. My two cats took about 1 min to acknowledge the new door. Since then they go in and out. They do not have to learn anything, because it opens like a normal door..

But sometimes they try to make me open the main door, just to show they‘re in control. Since they believe they’re god, you know...

Posted : 10/01/2018 5:33 pm
Jakub Dolezal
(@jakub-dolezal)
Member Admin
Re: Catflap


...Since they believe they’re god, you know...

Choose your words carefully, they might be reading your comments on the home PC, while you are at work. Some accident might happen 😈

Assembly manuals

/ Knowledge Base
The guy behind Prusa assembly manuals...

Posted : 11/01/2018 9:41 am
Knickohr
(@knickohr)
Member Moderator
Re: Catflap

Choose your words carefully, they might be reading your comments on the home PC, while you are at work. Some accident might happen 😈

😯 😆

Thomas

Posted : 11/01/2018 12:52 pm
Andreas K. B.
(@andreas-k-b)
Active Member
Re: Catflap

Hallo,

that is a very interesting project. I would need to build / get such a flap for a parrot.

Is there any possibility to help me building it for my parrot?

by the way: Do you speak German? (I am from Austria)

Please feel free to contact my by PM.

Thanky you very much!!!

Andreas

Posted : 24/03/2018 7:50 am
AlexU
(@alexu)
New Member
Re: Catflap

How do you read the pet id chip? Is it only on the outside that it reads it?

Posted : 21/05/2018 6:13 pm
Neolker
(@neolker)
Member
Re: Catflap

What a shame, that I didn't print it as well and just bought boring mechanical catflap last weekend 😆

Posted : 22/05/2018 3:36 pm
espen.l
(@espen-l)
Active Member
Re: Catflap

Very nice project. Is there a writeup on the electronic available somewhere? I'm quite curious about the reading of the id tag and how you detect whether the cat is inside or outside.

Posted : 23/05/2018 9:08 am
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