DuraPrint

Be sure to check out my instagram @duraprint 

First picture is standard PLA printed with (top) and without cooling fan. The cooling fan is for example not suitable for printing materials like ABS. Second picture shows specimen in TPU a soft rubberlike material, this has to be printed very slowly to get good results. Last picture is #3dbenchy in the new very though nylon Alloy 910.

It is not always easy to get a print like you want it to. Especially if you want to use the same settings for different materials.

When the purpose is comparing materials it is important of course to do the printing with the closest possible setting. But different materials very often require the temperatures and other parameters to be tweaked. I’m trying to change as little as possible to get accurate and comparable results.

In every project it is important to gather as much information as possible at a early stage.

Here is a few valuable sources I’ve read

https://www.academia.edu/6209168/Mechanical_properties_of_components_fabricated_with_open-source_3-D_printers_under_realistic_environmental_conditions

http://my3dmatter.com/influence-infill-layer-height-pattern/

I have also made a few interviews with 3D printer users in the industry, they have provided me with insights from another point of view about durability of 3D printed products in practice. 

Frans Johansson

Hello.

My name is Frans Johansson and I study Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology. On this blog you can follow my progress and work focusing on optimizing 3D printing for durability.

I will be evaluating how 3D printer settings and materials choice affect the durability and mechanical strength of the printed product. The project will cover FDM, Fused Deposition Modeling, the most popular technique for plastic 3D printing today. 

This project in collaboration with Creative Tools AB will have open source and results presented in the fairest possible manner. 

The first three weeks of the project I will make a project plan, involving primarily the background and purpose of the thesis.