3D Printing Tech Tip: Installing Heat Set Threaded Inserts In FDM Parts
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- This video demonstrates how to install heat-set threaded inserts into ABS plastic that was printed on an FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printer.
Thank you for this. I am trying out some prototypes using some M4 inserts and this was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
How big do you print the hole in relationship to the insert?
The manufacturer of the insert should be able to state the proper hole size for their particular insert. Each manufacturers’ wall thickness of the insert will be slightly different so there isn’t a set hole size like that for tapped holes. If you can’t find the information, I would recommend mic’ing the knurled part of the insert and then making a hole about .020” to .030” smaller. Tighter is always better to start with because you can simply chase the hole with a drill bit to enlarge it if needed - then use that size drill as your reference for future designs. I also recommend a counter sink at the hole opening to help start the insert into the hole.
Thanks for doing this. Does this technique work with knurled inserts too?
Maybe a silly question, but why did you add the insert to the outer edge and not the inner surface where the screws are?
Any details on the 3D Printer, hotend, extruder, build plate, etc etc?
Are these FDM ABS parts just strong as injection molded ABS parts, or half as strong or so? I.e. do the FDM parts fail at the delamination points or pretty sufficient compared to injection molded parts? Thanks!
Thanks!
The 3D printer was a Stratasys uPrint SE Plus and it was printed with Stratasys P-430 ABS. The Stratasys line of 3D printing equipment is what we call a professional-grade solution, and there are no extruder or temperature settings for the user to worry about tweaking - Stratasys invented extrusion-based 3D printing 30 years ago so I trust their settings and hardware configurations more than my own. This is an older model machine (oldie but a goodie) the newer blends of ABS on Stratasys’s product line are a little stronger - but there is more to comparing 3D printed parts to injection molded parts than just the material. 3D printing produces parts that have “grain” (anisotropic) to them similar to wood, this means that the orientation of your part matters to make sure the “grain” or layer to layer laminations promotes strength in your part. In an apples to apples material/geometry comparison, an injection molded part will be stronger as it is isotropic (it has no grain) and does not have laminations that tend to be the failure point on extrusion-based printed parts. However, an injection mold can easily cost $5k to $50k and injection molding has many geometry limitations that 3D printing does not - which makes the lower strength part start to be much more appealing as it can be a cheaper solution with greater design freedom.