1

I have a conceptual part i would like to 3d print , i want to be able to produce this as cheaply as possible , its a solid sphere measuring 94 mm across - no moving parts. it needs to be able to withstand at least 50kg of downward force without breaking

please share your thoughts

2

You might want to consider printing it with Fiber Reinforced Nylon. It can be Carbon, Kevlar, or Fiberglass reinforcement. You can find more information here: Plastic 3D printing service - Order your Plastic 3D printed parts

- Prasad @ DigiPhy3D’s Hub

3

I can put 90 kilos (~190 lbs) on a 3/16" (5mm) PLA walls at 30% infill. I don’t think you would need anything special for that weight at ~10mm.

4

We printed a model of a football recently. It has 70 mm diameter, is hollow with 5 mm walls. I stood on it (my weight is around 80 kg) - no problem. Thus, what I would recommend is a 94 mm sphere, hollowed out, with 7 mm walls. That should provide plenty of strength for 50 kg downward force.

A major problem with perfect spheres is getting them to stick to the print bed. With the football, we solved this by flattening one side a bit and placing supports around the lower portion. I do believe printing a sphere should be possible without flattening a side by using support that can be easily removed.

It would be about a 19 hour print priced at around 28 Euro.

5

HI Theo, I would suggest 4mm thickness with 20% infill for stability. This will withstand 100 kg. Print takes 29 hours. Price would be euro 30,-.

Material: ABS or PLA

Cheers

Alfred

6

thanks for the reply! i have .stl file already which is solid internally , do i need the file adjusted by a designer to cater for the 20% infill you are referring to or do you make that adjustment at your end?

do you offer any way of making this cheaper if i need more than 1 unit?

7

thanks for the reply, I already have the .stl file, if i want it adjusted as per you recommendation about flattening one side - do i need to do this or do you make the necessary changes before print? do you offer economies of scale if i order 10+ units?

8

Hi Theo,

I would do it on my end.

For the discount: how many parts do you need?

Cheers

Alfred

9

We can do the flattening if you let us know how much we can flatten it without negative effect on its functionality. Alternatively, we can surround it with enough support to make it print well.

Because the economics behind our prices are largely driven by machine time and printing 10 pieces takes exactly 10 times the time it takes to make one, there’s no discount. Please bear in mind that printing 10 of these would take about 190 hours, and this is already assuming that your part is hollow.