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Welcome to my thesis blog! I’m Dennis Klappe, a Master’s student in Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Twente. I’m not the kind of person who uses social media much or enjoys blogging, but I believe documenting the process well is key to creating a good open-source project. So bear with me as I share this journey over the next nine months, working on making 5-axis FDM 3D printing more accessible.

The challenge

Most traditional FDM 3D printers work in three axes (X, Y, and Z). Adding two rotational axes enables printing complex geometries without supports, better surface quality, and less waste. But current 5-axis printers are expensive and complex.

My goal: develop an affordable, open-source 5-axis system that works with common desktop 3D printers.

Building on previous work

This project builds on my supervisor Janis Andersons’s master’s thesis from 2023. He developed a 5-axis printer using a 2-axis print-head retrofit (adding 2 rotational axes to the standard 3-axis system), proving that multi-axis printing can be accessible. My work continues this development, focusing on refinement and democratisation.

What’s coming

Over the coming months, I’ll probably work on:

• Understanding user needs
• Creating build documentation
• Testing real-world performance
• Building a community around the project
• Updating the hardware the adapt to mutliple existing printers

Get involved

This blog will document the development process, successes, failures, and everything in between. Whether you’re a maker, educator, or just curious about 3D printing’s future, follow along.

Want to discuss the project or contribute? Join the Discord to connect with the community.

The best ideas often come from makers and citizen-scientists. Let’s democratise 5-axis printing together.