3D Printing a port

Hi All, I just bought a new 3d printer (didn't get it yet ), but I wanted to ask if anyone has ever tried to print a PORT with the printer. I know ABS plastic is strong enough. and the 3d printer should be accurate enough, so theoretically speaking I should be able to print a port.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Asaf.

Can it withstand pressure given the layered printing method? that would be my only concern. 3D seems fine for add ons and attachments but would want significant pressure testing done for anything that needs to be waterproof.

Do you mean the attachment for the port to the housing, you would need some way to accurately capture the glass/transparent element.

My belief is that ABS would be fine for a relatively thin extension perhaps (but you would need secondary machining for the threads) but not for say the collar for a big dome port. Anyone have an FEA handy.

Bill

Thanks for the replay, My concern is also the problems regarding the layers and how well they bond. I think I will have to test it

FEA is not a problem, but I don't think it is necessary here, since it seems like the main concern is how well the layers bond to each other.

And threads are also not a problem, since I don't need any, but if I need, I do have a milling machine and a lathe machine.

Well, I would like to hear more thoughts about the idea, since I'm about to put an expensive equipment in it so I will test it before, I think I will put it in an hydraulic pressure chamber to test it first...

Thanks,

and looking to hear other thoughts

Asaf.

If you have a lathe, why not produce one from metal (aluminum)?

I have the original Olympus case, which has a very complicated grooves to manufacture, and we are in the 21th century I would like to just simply print it .

Asaf.

I have the original Olympus case, which has a very complicated grooves to manufacture, and we are in the 21th century I would like to just simply print it .

 

Asaf.

I don't know what printer you ordered, but I suspect after a few test prints you'll abandon this idea.

I've printed some parts for use underwater, one is semi-structural (compass mount collar for an Ikelite handle) but I would not at all trust this method for anything that's part of the pressure integrity functionality of the housing. You can set for 100% infill and such during printing of walls, etc. but the print is still going to have pinhole gaps here and there, and the layer-to-layer bond is weaker than the within-layer bond.

Unless you're talking about a really high end type system vs. the FFF method, I wouldn't trust it. You might get away with a print as a way to make the prototype about which you'd form a silicone mold to then pour the 'real' part, but at that point you may as well go to a shop with a 3D model and have them do the fabrication (don't know if emachineshop.com still exists....EDIT - just checked and yes they do)

Thanks for the replay, I'm not talking about Lamination or Photopolymerization, I'm talking about the FFF.

I'm interested in what you said about trusting this method and the pinhole gaps, pinholes gaps are not a problem is the walls are 100%, since it should be strong enough (I think ), but my Idea it to make the port, make a "back hood" for it, and take it to a test (or in a pressure tank or diving) and see if there are any leaks.

My main concern now is the layer to layer bonding, is there any "heat treatment" like we do in steel to plastic? I mean if I cook the part in an oven, will it help it to bond?

anyway this will take some time, since I have more parts I need to "practice" on .

My first part will be a simple filter holder for my flashlight, nothing fancy.

Depending on what machine you purchased or are building (I've got the Solidoodle v2) the heated bed provides some assistance to layer-to-layer bonding, since it keeps the temp somewhat elevated so that subsequent layers stick fairly well. The housing also holds the heat in to some extent. But its still not going to have the strength of a full injection molded part. I could easily imagine water penetrating like butter seeping through the pastry layers of a nice flaky biscuit, layer by layer, working its way around if there wasn't a direct seam to take advantage of.

I have heard of people using an oven to re-bake the part but more to eliminate warp and such - it won't really anneal it to the point of better interconnection.

There is a vapor bath technique for surface finish that might seal the exterior off a bit better, on top of a 100% infill part. But I personally have never tried it. Do a websearch for "Ian Solidoodle blog" and you should find some posts about it. Basically he uses something like a crock pot to create an acetone vapor bath which lightly dissolves exposed surfaces and smooths them out. USE EXTREME CAUTION as acetone is both flammable and highly dangerous as a vapor. Me, I'm not trying it.

Keep in mind too that strength is 'in-layer' vs. 'out of layer' so any torqueing action on a hole that is printed tangential to the layers can just split; besides getting round clean holes can be difficult to do if they're not oriented with the hole axis from top to bottom (e.g. the circle is on the build floor), even with 'support material' designed into the print or the slicing operation. So in your blue filter holder part, for example, I'm assuming you'd be printing that part with the bottom facing the backside of the flashlight which means your hinge bolt hole is horizontal to the build surface. I'd almost break that part up into a couple different ones and glue them together so the hole arms can be printed laying down on the floor just like the main ring. I did something like that for my compass mount: main collar was one piece, and the holes to thread the hinging pin thru were smaller subassembly pieces (there's another thread in this same subforum about it if you search on my name). Others posting 3D prints here have done the holes oriented otherwise and come out ok though, so it might also be related to the printer, the plastic quality (there's a lot of bad ABS filament out there - especially black), etc.

Thanks for the insights. I bought the ultimaker, which got a LOT of very good reviews around the world, I saw many complicated parts with holes laying not oriented with the hole axis from top to bottom, but I guess it will all be trial and error, If it would be complicated, I might do it without the holes and then drill \ mill them.

Regarding the acetone vapor bath, I know about it, I thought about it, but I'm not sure it will help, you wrote that you've heard about people using oven to re-bake the part, do you have a link about it?

I just got the printer yesterday night, spent about 3-4 hours building 80% of it, (the manual states 6-20 hours to build it), so I hope to finish the assembly & to print the first test today, but I guess I won't have time . anyway, as soon as I'll see the results I'll know better .

And I will have to insure my camera before going into the water with the new port

Thanks, I'll keep you all posted.

OK! So it took around 7 hours to complete the assemble, but once it was ready, All I had to do was, load the software, set the fill to 100%, and press PRINT.

didn't change any of the defaults, just tried to print and see..

ACTUALLY, it was AMAZING. I was sitting looking at the printer for an hour, and after an hour, 3 parts were sitting there on the build platform!

the results are "OK", not the best ever, but surprisingly much better then my expectations.

now I need to start and print some good stuff .

Very nice. You're getting good looking circularity right off the bat, much better than my Solidoodle provided until I tweaked around quite a bit.

As an FYI, I don't think you have to go 100% fill for items that aren't going to be pressure walls. I actually leave my infill at gridded and sometimes even turn off the outermost (top and bottom) fill solid layers. A kind of meshed part is fine provided it won't trap water (or air cavities that might collapse at depth).

Notwithstanding the previous comments on layer strength, I would machine the 'O' ring groove to insure a true, smooth ring seating surface .

Old thread , but I wonder how this turned out.... I recently bought a Meikon housing for the Olympus OMD -EM10, and this housing looks to be of decent quality for a plactic/polyc housing. Even a button to pop up the flash....

I would have preferred using my 60mm/2.8 -macro lens, but it seems aprx. 12-15mm to long for the port, which is not interchangeable.

Maybe an extender can be made through 3D printing, or as a model for an aluminium extender? It looks like the glass in the port is screwed on, with an O-ring to seal it against the port. A.15-16mm(have to measure more accurately), extension would be enough to accomodate this lens. The 14-42mm RII kit lens fits, and is about 70mm expanded, and is very close to the glass.

Anybody with good ideas/views on this, if it's possible? It would be a very cheap combination, as the Meikon housing is very reasonably priced, and the EM10 about half the price od an EM5 or EM1. I would have bought 2 extenders if they been available......