**Surplus Industrial Robot Becomes Two-Ton 3D Printer**

As the old adage goes: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what happens when life gives you a two-ton surplus industrial robot arm? For Brian Brocken, it's not just about making lemonade – it's about creating something entirely new. The ABB IRB6400 robot arm in question is no ordinary machine; with its ability to sling 100 to 200 kilograms depending on configuration, it's a powerhouse of precision and strength.

So, what happens when you pair this behemoth with a relatively lightweight Creality Sprite 3D printhead? The result is a massive 3D printer that's as much about engineering ingenuity as it is about innovative design. And the best part? It all starts with a clever hack: attaching the new hardware to the robot arm using a 3D printed mount.

But, as any maker knows, the real challenge lies not in the physical assembly, but in the software integration. The ABB IRB6400's controller is no ordinary beast – it speaks its own dialect, called ABB RAPID, which doesn't even understand G-code. This means that Brian had to feed the arm controller the specific lines of code it expects, while simultaneously feeding G-code to the RAMPS board controlling the extruder.

The biggest hurdle? Getting this synchronized reliably was the main challenge Brian faced. Unfortunately, this results in a print speed that's compromised by stop-and-starts on complex models – impacting the overall quality of the prints. But don't worry; Brian is already working on optimizing the software to better utilize the ABB arm's controller, which has enough memory for a small buffer, if not a full print.

So, what inspired this unique creation? It all started with [Brian]'s last use of the arm – carving a DeLorean out of styrofoam. As it turns out, this might be closer to the original design brief than anyone expected! Usually, we see people using 3D printers to build robot arms; but in this case, it's the other way around – and not even the first example of its kind.

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**Build Page and More Pictures:**

For a closer look at Brian's remarkable creation, check out the build page above for more pictures. And if you're one of the lucky ones who happen to have an ABB IRB6400 arm lying around, [Brian] is selling the software that made this all possible – just be prepared for some serious tinkering!