3D Printing

I recently designed and 3D printed a CMM fixture for an oddly shaped part. (It turned out amazing)
I was just wondering if anyone else uses a 3D printer for work or pleasure and what applications have you found your 3D printer the most useful in a manufacturing environment?

Schlag over 3 years ago

We would use ours allot more buts its pretty bottom end. We do aluminum extrusion so we get some real funky shapes sometime and the 3D printer fixtures work great. We tend to used machine plastic and bolt that to our rayco subplates.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
acgarcia over 3 years ago

We have 5 or more marked forged 3D printers. Prints come out very well. I use them for part fixtures and making adapter plates for toggle clamps and stuff.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
LaserJay over 3 years ago

Man, you just gave me a great idea for an aluminum extruded part that we struggle measuring!

Mine is low end as well. Ender 3 V2 (~$250 printer)
I think in the right hands any 3D printer can be powerful
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
LaserJay over 3 years ago in reply to acgarcia

Thats pretty legit!
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
gt143744 over 3 years ago

I have access to two: one actually at my work and one of my coworker's who has a 3d printing farm. The ones I get printed at work aren't the best but my coworker has made me some really nice fixtures. I just use them as fixturing for parts, nothing crazy or complicated but they work really nice to get consistent and repeatable measurements.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
acgarcia over 3 years ago in reply to acgarcia

yeah, I can't complain, company owner sought these out himself. We have 1 that can reinforces prints with either continuous or chopped carbon fiber. He says print whatever makes our jobs easier. Got an idea to make it better, adjust your model and print it again. Once you are pleased with the final result, print a backup.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
LaserJay over 3 years ago

I have used mine for plastic C clamps so I don't damage parts that need to be clamped down and I have made hand drill chucks for a few of our machinist to help with deburr. there are a few other projects I want to work on but I prefer to work on the clock so I get paid and I am too busy up here most of the time
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
Peter Fuller over 3 years ago

Man, you just gave me a great idea for an aluminum extruded part that we struggle measuring!

Mine is low end as well. Ender 3 V2 (~$250 printer)
I think in the right hands any 3D printer can be powerful

That printer is a really nice printer actually, I've had success making all sorts of fixturing and clamps/collets for custom parts. I've upgraded mine quite a bit at this point and really enjoy it.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
gt143744 over 3 years ago in reply to LaserJay

I'd love to get plastic clamps so I can stop scratching parts, it never occured to me to have them 3-d printed. I'll have to bring them up tomorrow to see if someone can help me make it a reality.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel
LaserJay over 3 years ago

That printer is a really nice printer actually, I've had success making all sorts of fixturing and clamps/collets for custom parts. I've upgraded mine quite a bit at this point and really enjoy it.

Yeah I love mine, The main feature I wish I had is auto bed leveling. I have tuned my Ender 3 in really nicely and set my slicer settings how I like them so I am getting really high quality prints. I think one reason I want to upgrade is so I can run two at the same time lol
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Sign in to reply

Cancel