3D printing is an intriguing process because it allows for the creation of non-standard pieces. I’ve used 3D printing in the past with an ENGI 120 project where I created bearings and various elements of a system out of printed materials. For this lab though we were just supposed to create an object that showcased the featured of 3D printing by being “impossible” to manufacture other ways.

My first attempt to create an object was a rotating set of rings I found on Thingiverse. These were always one of the coolest things in the set of 3D printed objects and would showcase the abilities of the printer well. The upper and lower sections are slightly bowed in, with a small amount of space separating it, meaning a injection molding would not be suitable for making this in another way.

Unfortunately, this was a failed print. Not because the print was wrong, but when I scaled down the file, the spacing between the layers was shrunk to the point that the layers were not separated enough. While I had originally done this print in a much smaller size than the final (think penny vs. half dollar), I decided this would not be a suitable file for this project.

My second file I wanted to try was a set of interlocking pyramids. What I liked about this file is that it created something that you would normally put individual pieces together (i.e. gluing individual bars together) to create this shape, but with 3D printing you could create it in one step.

My prototype was again smaller than my final would be and is shown left. One issue I ran into with this model was that there was support material located in the middle of the shape, and the shape was too small to fit needle nose pliers to pull it out. Still, I tried making a larger version, which failed. The only working FDM printer (at the time) was making a mess when it reached a certain point. The problem was that the model was created in layers where each layer was a scattered set of points. These small sections of filament were not secured very well to the bed and would get stuck to the extruder and glob up. I tried a couple versions of the file and added a base, but the problem persisted. I worked with the lab techs and we couldn’t solve the issue. The file was not compatible with FDM. So I looked for a new file to do.

I found this fish model when searching for “moving animals”. I liked the simplicity of the design that highlighted the strengths of the 3D printer. The joints are printed by interlocking the pieces, allowing the object to be one piece but still giving it a bit of flexibility to move. The prints also came off very easily, even in a smaller version of the file. I was able to print off two versions that were slightly larger that also fit in the capsules.

This week I didn’t get as much time to tinker around with the 3D printers as I would have liked because I was busy with other classes and such. Still, I was really happy with the way the final piece came out. I would pay $0.50 for one of these fish objects.