July 11, 2015 | By Simon
It goes without saying that one of the best and most unique parts about 3D printer ownership has been in having the ability to both replicate existing parts as well as create entirely new parts to make a 3D printer better. To date, no other type of machine has been able to something with as much ease as a 3D printer can.
While it’s certainly impressive when 3D printers can be used to replicate themselves, it can also be equally impressive when 3D printer owners make their own printer modifications to make the 3D printing experience easier and better using the 3D printer itself to create the mods.
Among others who have used modified their 3D printers with new parts include IT Manager Simon Chan, who was inspired to create 3D printer shock absorbers after studying the shocks created by structural engineers to create earthquake-proof buildings. While 3D printers certainly don’t have as much weight as a skyscraper, the same principles apply and the shocks are able to dampen the torque generated by the motors and ultimately reduce the number of vibrations and noise that a 3D printer makers.
“I run my printer at all hours day and night and in spite of sitting the printer on a foam mat, the vibrations from infills and rapid axis changes would rattle even the heavy sideboard it sits on,” said Chan in an email to 3Ders.
“In turn, low-frequency vibrations can be heard even a couple of floors below my apartment. I did consider putting a rug or some insulation under the sideboard but it wouldn’t solve a generic problem that I’m sure many 3D hobbyists face.”
To create the shock absorbers, Chan started by doing some research into the principles and design of earthquake-proof buildings, particularly those that can handle lateral movement in all directions.
Once he had a better understanding of the design and engineering principles used to keep a large skyscraper standing after an earthquake, he designed a shock absorber solution using Google Sketchup that is not only durable and easy to produce on most 3D printers, but is also capable of supporting nearly any 3D printer design. According to Chan, any user with a different printer simply needs to adapt a mount for their printer’s feet to join the shock absorber’s base unit.
“The concept started as a rough paper drawing and was finalized in Google Sketchup when my purchase of the springs arrived, allowing me to take exact measurements,” explained Chan. “All in, it took less than hour from concept to printable STL files.”
Although the parts were designed to be able to be printed on nearly any 3D printer, Chan’s own were printed used his Printrbot Simple Metal 1403 using PLA over the course of 6 hours and 10 prints total. The 20 springs distributed over 4 bases are also capable of comfortably supporting 10 Kg of dead weight coupled with printing forces.
“Specifically for this project, the end goal was to dampen the vibrations and dissipate the energy instead of letting them convert into noise or long-term vibrations that would jar loose some component or connection,” said Chan.
“These shock absorbers have been tested to happily absorb the printing stresses generated by rapid X/Y axis movements and directional changes of the Printrbot and I expect it would for others.”
Currently, Chan has a handful of other 3D printing projects lined up that are inspired by a myriad of different problems ranging from musical instruments to articulating plates for cameras.
“As an IT manager, finding solutions to problems comes naturally,” adds Chan.
“However I believe that even if something works, there’s always a better way of doing it. The constant desire to improve will drive innovation and I would be happy if people find ways to improve on my designs because I’m sure these are not the ultimate solutions.”
Those interested in 3D printing their own shock absorbers for their 3D printer can do so by downloading the STL files created by Chan over at the project’s Thingiverse page.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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