1

Hi all, I have uploaded a helical design in the past to be printed in PET, but it warped apparently, so I got my money back. Anyone in the neighbourhood of Eindhoven who thinks he/she can manage?

2

And the stl
helix.stl (1.16 MB)

3

This is really impressive to print ,because even upright you’ll have to manage support for the upper ring

Is this a functional design or just a prototype?

4

It is a prototype, but should function :wink: Perhaps with a resin printer (form+) better results can be obtained instead of with a filament printer?

5

Challenging print, looking at it quickly it needs quite some support to print well. Did you used a hub with a 3D printer with heated bed? I presume you’d had to due to the PET material, but a well calibrated printer shouldn’t warp . If there is an option to scale back the size I could give it a go. Send me a PM/inquiry for further questions.

6

Hello Basilako,

I can print with PET and maybe I can print it.

But I do have a few questions:

- I can print with support, but are you willing to remove the support by yourself?

- Do you maybe know the weight of the object? (with support and without support)

I also have a Form 1 printer, but thats still packed and I have to prob with that printer before I can print prints from other persons.

Please let me know something:

https://www.3dhubs.com/user/6256/

7

Hi Basilako,

Have you tried looking in to other materials as well?

Maybe ColorFabb XT is also something worth trying, possibly even the new XT-CF20, filled with 20% carbon fibre.

If you want I can take a look.

But like people have allready mentioned, this will print better on a resin printer.

Though for functional testing those models might not be strond enough.

Good luck

8

Why PET?

If you don’t need to go higher than 50 degC you can also try transparent PLA.

I live in Asten and can try it for you :slight_smile:

9

In terms of shape this is indeed a better fit for a resin- or powder-based 3D printer. But what kind of mechanical load is this part going to see? As far as I know (and I’m certainly not an expert!) resin/powder based prints are simply not as strong as PLA/ABS. On that note, do you definitely need PET?

10

Hi all,

I’ve found a resin printer that is willing to give it a go, so let’s see how that is going to work. In answer to some of the questions:

  • It is a part for a bioreactor. PLA is then not such a good idea as it will just get consumed :wink: I chose PET as it is supposedly strong and transparent
  • Strength will only be an issue during assembly. After that it will be completely submerged in gently flowing water

One potential problem is the number of supports that resin may require. With a filament printer this may be less of a problem?

Cheers for the interest!

11

resin sounds like the way to go indeed

12

Please post a picture when the object is finished :slight_smile:

Best,

René

13

isnt it possible to print it in 2 parts, and then glue the top ring on top of the rest?

( i see you already found someone who can do it, just a suggestion for if it doesnt work :slight_smile: )