3D Printer advice

[Quickstep192]

The other day while searching to find a widget for the car, my wife said “You know what you need? - a 3D printer...

Not wanting to ignore this sage advice, I’m thinking a 3D printer would be really nice to have.

Unfortunately, other than understanding the principle, I’m not at all familiar with the printer brands or capabilities. Again realizing what I don’t know, I think I’d like to be able to print anything from a radio knob to a mock-up for something like a Weber intake manifold.

Any suggestions on brands and software?
I’m decent with AutoCAD, but I don’t know if it’s a good choice for 3D printing.

Any guidance is appreciated.

[buster73]

Smart thinking of your wife ! I started with 3D printing about one year ago, after printers became affordable and quite powerful. You can start with a 100$ printer or spend many thousands, but I recommend to start with a smaller package to take the first steps and see if you like it. Think about what size of parts you want to print and which plastic materials you want to use. These will be the governing factors regarding the question which printer to buy. Most common technology for the beginner would be fused deposition modeling (FSM) where you use extruded plastic filament, available in a wide choice of resins and colors. Most starter printers can handle PLA only, which is fine for gaining first experience and for some easy applications, but quite limited especially regarding heat resistance (will start to soften above ca. 50°C). I use it for assembly tools and helpers and you can probably use it for some interior parts, but not a choice for anything near the drive train or exterior. Next level would be ABS plastic which typically requires printers with heat bed (heated printer surface). Heat resistance of ABS is better than PLA (ca. 80 to 100°C) but chemical resistance to fuel, grease, oil or brake fluid is not that great. Great for interior parts however. Better choice for technical parts and parts close to the drive train and in contact with gas, oil and grease would be nylon, which will however require a higher performance printer (high melt temperature and heat bed). In general I would recommend to use black colored resins, as they will at least show some resistance to sunlight (UV) especially if wall thickness is not too thin. Natural or uncolored resin can degrade and become brittle pretty fast in an automotive environment. Painting can also help to improve weathering and resistance to chemicals quite a bit.

The choice of printers is almost endless but you will find lots of information and advice in the many 3D printer forums. A good start would be reputable manufacturers such as Prusa, Anycubic, DaVinci, Flashforge, Reprap, Makerbot, Ultimaker, etc

To know AutoCad is already a good start. You will need an additional software to convert your AutoCad files into printer language. I use Ultimaker Cura (freeware) but you will have a wide choice of software. Might also come together with the printer which reduces compatibility issues. A perfect start would be to look for a local maker lab, typically run by schools, universities or local clubs where you can gain first experience with support from some knowledgeable “geeks” who can help you to avoid the typical beginner errors.

Anyway good project and no worries. Quite easy to get the first parts out of the printer. Just needs some training and some persistence to tackle the initial hurdles.

One example of a helper tool (piston ring guide) 3D printed in PLA:

[Showdown]

I have been designing 3D printed parts for a variety of uses for years and have concluded that outsourcing the printing is the easiest and most economical route. Using an online marketplace you can have access to dozens of materials and printers and the cost is negligible. Buying a printer will lock you in to scale and materials and unless you’re really using it a lot it may not pay off.

[Duc Hunter]

I have one, and it's been fun to use for sure. It's not easy though. Every spool of material means a lot of adjusting and playing to get good, clean prints. For cars you want to use ABS if it's something you can make in plastic, and ABS is best done in an enclosed 3D Printer. I have found ShapeR 3D on my iPad with the Apple Pencil is a great design tool for building my own designs. For printing software I use Simplify3D. thats been the best for printing.

I want to do SC style side vents, as they are NLA. Scanning good ones as a patter has been too hard for me to nail. Designing them from scratch has been beyond me so far. Just some thoughts.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by Showdown

I have been designing 3D printed parts for a variety of uses for years and have concluded that outsourcing the printing is the easiest and most economical route. Using an online marketplace you can have access to dozens of materials and printers and the cost is negligible. Buying a printer will lock you in to scale and materials and unless you’re really using it a lot it may not pay off.

who do you use to print?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Showdown

I have been designing 3D printed parts for a variety of uses for years and have concluded that outsourcing the printing is the easiest and most economical route. Using an online marketplace you can have access to dozens of materials and printers and the cost is negligible. Buying a printer will lock you in to scale and materials and unless you’re really using it a lot it may not pay off.

I agree. The biggest challenge for most people is the part design. Maybe get a cheap printer, and good software and practice with the cheap printer. When you want a quality part, let a service bureau that prints files all day long do it.

They are more options in printers than one can imagine.

The software is not super easy to learn and not very intuitive. It will take a while to learn the design steps.