3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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I got given a link to a company that will print stuff in 3D for you, i have decided to try and design a custom vacuum cleaner pipe, Just the plastic bit on the end. So that i have a nice thin end for in the car.
Anyone have any experience of this? Ic an do the 2d drawings if someone can convert them to 3D, i imagine it will be quite simple.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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What format do they want the 3D file in?
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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.STL is what i can make out, not sure what that is.
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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Stereo Lithography...
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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STL files are graphics containing polygon data that most 3D CAD packages can export to - it's only use really is 3D printing and are fucking useless for anything else.
I've messed around with various free 3D packages and found them to be varying degrees of shit. It doesn't help when the major players in the commercial world are churning out shit too.
This was one of the ones I had a little bit of success with when trying to do some stuff with a PCB package: http://www.freecadweb.org/
[Edited on 08-08-2014 by ed]
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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I've noticed sketchup has a 3d printing template, not tried it yet though.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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I struggled with SketchUp when I tried using it, mainly just because it was a different concept to what I was used to. Think the STL support is some kind of plugin now?
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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I'm out of the office most of next week but if I get a chance, I'll run it through Solidworks for you if ed can confirm it'll output in the correct format.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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All versions of SolidWorks will export to STL 
For 3D printing go into preferences and set the mesh to fine and if it's multi-body, set it to combine too.
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RichR
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Registered: 17th Oct 01
Location: Waterhouses, Staffordshire
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There you go Jim, how quickly will you be in a position to send me the 2D? I have 19 working days left in my current job (leave on 5th September) so would need to be done withing that time.
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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I'll try do it next week. Nice one. I thought I could design a nozzle that would fit different sized hoover pipes and is ideal for cars.
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tom130691
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Registered: 13th Sep 08
Location: Daventry
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all the 3D printing we did at uni and do at JLR, is from catia/solidworks STL files,
should be fine Rich
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Balling
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Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
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Newer versions of Photoshop (CS6 and CC) does files for 3D printing.
I've worked a bit with the 3D work flow and it's fairly easy to grasp, if you have any knowledge of Photoshop.
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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Do you know what kind of printing method and material they are proposing to use?
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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I only ask as I run some FDM 3d printers as part of my job. For a part like a hoover nozzle, the slice orientation of the 3d STL model will have a massive impact on the overall strength of the part.
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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I have wondered about strength of it, seen some 3d printed stuff and looks really brittle.
Anyone seen the guy making a 3D spiderman on youtube, he is usingthe 3d doodle pen.
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Balling
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Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
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Thought about buying that 3Doodler pen for shits and giggles.
Thought about buying one of the home 3D printers as well, but honestly don't have a clue what I'd use it for.
The biggest issue I see with these 3D printed parts right now is that the surface isn't very smooth at all, compared to cast parts.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Depends on the technique used and the finishes applied - you could say the same about machined aluminium, it looks like crap coming out the machine but after it's been polished and anodised it looks great.
For example, the centre console of a Bugatti Veyron is 3D printed. It has an aluminium foil pressed onto it to make it look pretty. A load of the parts on that David Brown Speedback dashboard are 3D printed too - they have a soft touch paint applied to them so they look like high quality trim.
As for strength, 3CM, the guys making the parts ought to take care of orientation. FDM (melted plastic layers) or SLA (thin layers of resin fused together) should be strong enough - with SLA you'd need to use the right resin and FDM is usually ABS plastic unless they're using one of these new organic polymers.
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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quote:
Originally posted by Balling
Thought about buying that 3Doodler pen for shits and giggles.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W50GtLrxLyk
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Balling
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Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
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Maybe not then...
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3CorsaMeal
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Registered: 11th Apr 02
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broster
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Registered: 6th Dec 02
Location: Drives: E39
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depends how it is 3d printed too, i bet the veyron dash isnt done with a 3d toothpaste tube squirty thing! they really are shit!
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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It actually is! They're done using FDM which is the squeezy toothpaste method
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