For this project, I was tasked to replicate five identical 3D-printed “impossible” objects. I chose to model a Klein Bottle using two of the 3D printers available at the OEDK. Klein bottles represent the mathematical concept of a non-orientable surface in topology, like a Mobius strip but a dimension higher (with no boundaries).

Getting started

I chose the Klein Bottle with interest in the mathematical concept using the files from creator MadOverlord on Thingiverse. I scaled down the bottle to have a height of 45 mm to fit in the small capsules provided to us in class, and after doing a test print for one, created a print file with three bottles to produce them at the same time using through the FDM method. I made two using the SLA 3D-printing method.

FDM Printing

FDM printing overall went very well! Despite the small size and details of the print, my first test print went well, and I was very impressed about the precision of the 3D printing method. I used a 0.15 mm layer height, infill density of 15%, and no supports with only a brim at the bottom. Printing three small Klein Bottles took a little over two hours on one of the Prusa i3 MK3/S printers at the OEDK.

SLA PRINTING

Using the Prusa SL1S was the most fun part of this process. With the guide to use it provided by the OEDK, everything felt very straightforward. There wasn’t a single step along the process that I wasn’t confident about completing, and I was very happy with the finished product! It didn’t need supports to be clean and I liked the smooth texture of finished resin. However, I did the two PLA printed pieces individually and with the printing, washing, and curing processes combined, each piece did take over two hours to make and required more patience and attention that FDM printing.

  

In hindsight

3D printing was one of the most straightforward methods of manufacturing to get introduced to this semester. I was worried about Voronoi partitioning of the design combined with the small size when printing, but still was able to get a precise and accurate print through both methods. With that said, there’s definitely more to explore with it — I think there was room for me to explore optimization with infill density through the FDM method, and . After trying the two methods, I like the finished product that comes out of PLA printing more than I do FDM because of the texture of the resin and the flexibility with the top down printing, despite the longer print time and more involved steps.

Cost analysis

I can specifically derive material cost using the rates provided on 3DprinterOS.com when I printed my components and from the given cost listed on the Prusa SL1S.

PLA…………$0.11

Resin……….$0.14

Machinery

Prusa SL1S Printer + CW1S….$2599

Prusa i3 MK3/S Printer……….$999

Total……..$3598.25

Overall, the cost of 3D printing is fairly inexpensive for the material with a total of $0.25 for the total printing material I used, given that one would already have access to the needed machinery to produce it. With access to 3D printers through any maker space, anyone can use free files on thingiverse.com to produce 3D printed products for a low cost.