As 3D printing becomes more prevalent in the manufacturing arena and as we continue to master the art, new doors open and new ways of thinking emerge.
Designers and engineers can create assemblies with fewer nuts and bolts, fewer items on a bill of materials and fewer steps to a finished product.
Think about the savings in managing inventory control!
First example of a printed assembly: Ultimate 3D”s Engineering card
While it is not a practical product, it is a great way to show off the technology and what can be accomplished when design is incorporated with 3d printing.
Notice the crankshaft, connecting rod and piston attached to the gear. Then notice the handle on the far right attached to another gear.
When the card is folded a the hinge between the two gears, they mesh and are held together by the strap that snaps into the rectangle hole.
Now when the handle is turned the crankshaft spins moving the piston inside the cylinder.
By the way, we will be glad to send you one of these really cool Engineering card if you will send us an email info@ult3d.com and put in the subject line: “Send me an Engineering Card” along with the shipping address and we will pop one into UPS for you to play with and show your friends.
With the right amount of clearance, you can put most any parts together and have them function as an assembled part, minus the assembling part! This is tricky due to the amount of variables involved, but lucky for you we have a great deal of experience in this area of 3d printing and can give you great advice as to the functionality of your design.
Examples of what can be done and what we have seen done are as follows:
Hinges (most basic)
Shafts in bushings
Butterfly valves inside of tubing
Destaco Clamps
Cable management inside of a housing
Chains
Clasp
Constant velocity shaft joints
Tracks for a robot
Ferris Wheels
Prosthetic”s
Crescent Wrench
And the list goes on and with your help and creativity it will continue to grow.
We are here to assist you in your design and prototype, and remember we are perfectly priced for low volume production.
Give us a call when you are ready to explore 3d printing your creation! 503-848-8227