Submitted 6 months ago by EmilieEvans@lemmy.ml to 3dprinting@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/318f7c64-fc2c-4a76-a383-aac3aa3c17b0.jpeg
Quick and dirty 5 minutes craft: Draw a rough shape, define the contact surfaces & load, click run, and get the optimized shape. The last step is converting the output to a printable shape and running one more simulation to double-check it is strong enough.
This particular holder is a filament spool holder designed to be loaded with up to 5.5kg of filament (1x2.5kg, 3x1kg).
Interesting, what software did you use?
Ignore this, its been asked already…
Don’t tell me what to do. Upvoted.
I take it there’s another holder on the other side.
May I ask why the complex shape, rather than just having a triangle with two points on the 4040 rail and the third point being the axle position?
I imagine the “optimized” there means it has the maximum weight support with the minimum amount of filament.
This shape certainly beats a triangle with only the walls or with just a bit of infill. And it surely takes less filament than one with near to 100% of infill.
I don’t follow you. Look at the photo, the thing is made of triangles. It’s the best shape. So I wonder, why use more than just one? Why make the shape require more than one triangle?
The thing with 3D printing is that it is usually stronger and uses less filament when you do a full shape without holes.
These shapes work well with conventional manufacturing, but 3D printing is different because it is mostly hollow on the inside
This shape certainly beats a triangle (…)
Nature loves triangles.
Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
Neat. What software? Does it also take into account the print direction?
EmilieEvans@lemmy.ml 6 months ago
Nastran.
Is there any software that does take toolpaths into account?
Not as far as I know. The next best option is to define anisotropic properties in the z-direction but this doesn’t close the gap between simulation and slicer output.
How good is it? Good enough. Work with safety margins and temper the print if it is close. An important aspect to make Ansys, Nastram, … work with FDM is experience/rule of thumb. Knowing how to read the result and how to set up a simulation/model to get close enough results.
Most valuable is where and how it will fail as this is pretty accurate. For the exact load capacity it is the simulation result decreased by some rule of thumb based on experience.
IMALlama@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Very cool!
Evidently nastran is headless. Did you use a GUI wrapper/interface? If yes, which one?
Final question: is this object the typical x wall thickness and y infill part? Did you happen to check the weight of a solid and optimized part? There’s no doubt in my mind that this would save mass if it was a solid part, but if it’s fairly hollow I wonder if the extra walls actually resulted in a heavier part.