3D printing your aquarium parts

For those of you serious DIY folks, you may be interested in how you can make your own plastic aquarium parts by printing them on a 3D printer. Just this year, costs for the 3D printers have dropped to under $500 USD for a pre-built one, and under $200 USD for a kit. 3D printing of your plastic parts works well when:

1. You are good with computers.
2. You like trying new designs or colors.
3. The part is small, or can be put together with small parts.
4. The part does not require great strength.
3. There is no easier/cheaper way to get the parts.

Some aquarium parts, such as simple boxes or tubes, are not suited to 3D printing because they can be more easily made with simple plastic or acrylic shapes. But some parts are so complex that there is no other way to make them except to print them on a 3D printer. I'll be using 3D printers to make the next version of algae scrubbers because of the built-in air tubing, magnet compartments, holes, and bubble pathways that make it impossible for the part to be made (in one piece) any other way.

Some things I've learned that pertain especially to 3D-printed aquarium parts:

1. Only use ABS plastic, not PLA or PVA. The ABS plastic is the same type of plastic used in kid's LEGO toys and is very strong. PLA or PVA plastic, however, will slowly dissolve when underwater or when subjected to high temps.

2. Only use FDM (also called FF) printers. These are the types of printers which use coils of plastic filament. These are also the cheapest printers. Other types of printers such as SLA (liquid) use a photo-cured plastic that will get brittle under aquarium lights, and "powder-printers" make parts which are not water tight.

3. The 3D printed parts will not be "glossy smooth". They will instead be more like carbon fiber, with a texture (or lines) running in one direction through the whole part.

We are too new at 3D printing to be able to recommend a particular printer, but I'm sure each reef or aquarium club has someone who has a 3D printer, and this is usually a great place to start.

Summary of 3D printing links:

Endless things to print:
http://www.thingiverse.com/

General forum for all printers:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/3dprintertipstricksreviews

Massive forum for lots of printer kits and DIY:
http://forums.reprap.org/

Current lowest-cost assembled printer to print aquarium-safe ABS plastic:
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/pirate3d/the-buccaneer-the-3d-printer-that-everyone-can-use/

Current most popular U.S. based assembled printer:
http://makerbot.com/

Low cost Chinese clone of Makerbot:
http://www.ff3dp.com/

Another low cost Chinese clone of Makerbot:
http://www.wanhao3dprinter.com/

Easiest free 3D modeling program to start with:
www.sketchup.com
(needs the "Export STL" plugin from http://www.armanicreations.com/download/export_stl_file.rb)


Happy printing!
 
用3D 印刷技術自己製作水族器材經驗

喜歡自己動手製作水族器材的魚友們,如果你想要你的作品(塑料材料)美觀且結實,試試3D打印技術來進行改進. 就今年,利用3D 技術製作一件成品的價格不到500美金(約3200人民幣),部件或套件的價格也不到200美金(約1300人民幣)。此價格是據美國市場情況分析的,國內市場價格會有所不同,請具體情況具體分析。

    3D技術是個非常實用且好用的方法,如果:

1. 你有一台好的電腦
2. 你喜歡嘗試新的設計或顏色。
3. 製作小型水族器材,小型效果佳。 (零件小,易操作,省製作時間)
4. 製作和使用不需要費很多力氣。
5. 不要購買太便宜的零件或部件。

一些水族零件,如使用簡單的盒子或管,因為他們可以用簡單的塑料或亞克力材料來製作,就不需要3D 技術。但有些複雜的零件,就需要用3D 印刷來製作。我將使用3D印刷技術來製作新一版藻類洗滌器,因為內置的空氣管,磁鐵,孔和泡沫很難用其他簡單方法來製作。

通過使用3D印刷技術, 我認識到:

1. 不能用PLA 或PVA, 只能用ABS塑料. ABS塑料與製作兒童玩具的塑料是同一類型,都很結實。但是PLA 或PVA的塑料會在水里或是高溫條件下,會慢慢溶解。

2. 只能使用FDM(也稱FF)印刷機。這類打印機使用的是塑料絲線圈。這也是最便宜的打印機。其他類型的打印機製作不出好的效果。如SLA(液體)打印機,它是使用光固化膠的,製作出來的成品或零件在水族燈的照射下, 它的材質會變脆。而用“粉打印機”製作的成品或零件對水的密封性較差。

3. 3D印刷技術製作出的成品或部件表面不是光滑的。整體上看,與同一方向紋理的碳相似。

對於3D印刷技術我們還沒有完全掌握,還有待於更深入的了解。所以只能夠推薦特定的打印機機型,但我敢肯定,礁水族館或水族俱樂部應該會有一台3D印刷機。如果有興趣製作自己的水族器材,那些地方會起到幫助的。

3D 印刷技術的相關網址:

Endless things to print:
http://www.thingiverse.com/

General forum for all printers:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#​​!forum/3dprintertipstricksreviews

Massive forum for lots of printer kits and DIY:
http://forums.reprap.org/

Current lowest-cost assembled printer to print aquarium-safe ABS plastic:
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/pirate3d/the-buccaneer-the-3d-printer-that-everyone-can-use/

Current most popular US based assembled printer:
http://makerbot.com/

Low cost Chinese clone of Makerbot:
http://www.ff3dp.com/

Another low cost Chinese clone of Makerbot:
http://www.wanhao3dprinter.com/

Easiest free 3D modeling program to start with:()
www.sketchup.com
(needs the "Export STL" plugin from http://www.armanicreations.com/download/export_stl_file.rb)


Happy printing!
 
我的3D印表機也上工了
正用PLA做些週邊不碰水的小東西
一堆3D計劃等待實現中 :em02:
 
自己在做塑膠射出開模這類~

最近也買了台3d印表機~

精度還OK 但是沒測過防水OR漏水部分
 
將來有一天,硬骨和軟珊瑚也可以用三滴印刷技術之後

誰還要混養啊…不過對我這種 FO 的人來說真是爽死了!
 
將來一定很多用 3D 列印客制化的珊瑚出現。
連礁石也可印出來
或許是個商機
 
目前的3D列印技術還沒有成熟到每個人都能輕鬆愉快的使用
某大3D印表機廠甚至在它最高檔的產品網站上用紅色警語標示
"需要耐心, 知識, 以及冒險精神"
就是告訴有意購買的人, 你即使有了這台最貴的機械也不見得能印得出來你想要的
(真正的目的是要客人不要印不滿意就退貨)

當然, 對一個熱愛DIY的人, 這一切都不會是問題
追求新知, 開發新方法, 3D列印會使你的DIY如虎添翼

即然愛DIY, 也可以考慮DIY一台3D印表機
現有一般市面上的3D印表機商品也都是源自於DIY社群RepRap.org
上面有完整的資訊教你如何做一台3D印表機
零組件, 套件, 甚至組裝教學, 在台灣都有人提供
(我的印表機是買成品, 目前正在做夢要DIY一台)

3D列印目前還在天馬行空有無限可能的開創階段
有如30年前用AppleII時, 完全無法預期今日的電腦是如何的強大方便
也許有一天3D印表可以像StarTreck裡的replicator, 一聲指令就可以生出東西
但, 今天還不是

Happy DIY!
 

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