Proof of Print: Engineer Replaces 3D Printer Heated Bed With Bitcoin Mining ASICs

A mechanical engineer in North Dakota has developed a prototype 3D printer that replaces conventional resistive bed heating with Bitcoin mining ASIC chips. The system, called Proof of Print, embeds mining hardware beneath the print surface so that hashing activity generates heat while simultaneously mining cryptocurrency.

The Concept

Known online as PizzAndy, the engineer developed the concept after observing that ASIC operating temperatures align with common bed requirements for materials such as PCTG, which typically prints between 75C and 80C. The current prototype integrates four BM1362 ASIC chips mounted under a bed measuring approximately 110 by 110 millimeters.

Performance

During active printing at roughly 75C, the system averages around 500 gigahashes per second. During initial heating cycles, output can approach one terahash per second before decreasing once the target temperature stabilizes. Hash rate can also rise when additional material mass is deposited, since added thermal load requires higher clock speeds.

Rather than fixing frequency for maximum efficiency, chip clock speed is dynamically adjusted to maintain a thermal setpoint. No fan-based cooling regulates bed temperature; thermal control is achieved entirely through frequency modulation.

Future Development

Future development centers on a modular architecture built around BZM2 ASIC chips. Each modular tile is designed to contain 16 chips. A four-tile configuration would incorporate 64 chips, significantly increasing both electrical draw and hash rate. Estimated performance for a four-tile system ranges between 10 and 30 terahashes per second at operating temperatures near 75C.

Target Audience

Intended deployment targets print farms rather than individual hobbyists. Print farms operate equipment continuously, making electricity consumption a central cost variable. PizzAndy stated that the system only makes sense at scale, since economic viability depends on cumulative mining output exceeding hardware and electricity costs over time.

The project uses Voron open source 3D printer designs as the structural basis. Mining firmware and hardware are being developed on open source stacks.