Which are the strongest and most durable materials?
I am working on a robotics project and need to print some gears. These will probably by under a LOT of pressure. Which material/filament should I choose so that the gears don't wear off easily?
PS: Newbie here...
EDIT:
According to my instuctor, it has to be some sort of plastic (not metal).
It also has to be lightweight...This question seems primarily opinion-based to me. However, maybe it would be a good question if we made it more specific. Given a few numbers on the expected pressure, and then ask if specific materials can fit the requirement.
'Newbie here'? Just saying, this site is hardly a day old :P
So, as you say you want to materials for printing robotics parts. And as you have not given any budget constraint, I would give you a list of materials which would help you achieve the task, and you can choose amongst them accordingly.
- Plastics: Basically used for building prototypes. Nylon Polyamide should be a choice for you.
Polyamide 3D printing is achieved through SLS 3D printing. It offers
strong and flexible prints. The upside of this material is that the
printing technology requires minimum preparation of the 3D file before
printing. There is no need for support. And it also offers the
possibility to create intricate shapes and moving part in just one go.
After the print the polyamide can be polished and dyed.- Metals: Metals like Brass, Alumunium and Steel should be a good choice.
But, if I were to achieve your task, I would select carbon fiber. some details about it:
Carbon fiber consists of 90% carbon atoms, each fiber is 10 times
thinner than a human hair. Carbon is especially prized for its lack of
combustibility and infusability but also by its incredible strength
(stronger than steel) and ability to create flexible structure, light
weight and corrosion resistance. Its melting temperature is 1500, this
heat there are only carbon.Yeah... I think carbon fiber might be able to do the job... Thanks!
You can upvote the answer if it helped you, and wait for more answers before you make a choice to accept :)
The segment you quoted applies to pure carbon fiber, but not to carbon fiber *filled* filament. The parts won't necessarily be stronger (especially in terms of layer bonding) than the plastic resin in which the carbon fiber is only a filler.
@TomvanderZanden Interesting! What is your take on carbonfiber vs Nylon? Well, that is sad. Carbon Fiber is meant to be stronger than plastic-based materials, right?
@Dawny33 going to buy a 3d printer tomorrow cuz our old one is spoilt... any recommendations?
@RahulBasu Can't recommend unless you tell us what specs, budget, etc. And this would make a nice question in the HardwareRecommendations SE :)
@Dawny33 ooohhhh, that's a site? Anyways, budget is USD850, and I have no idea about specs...
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Content dated before 7/24/2021 11:53 AM
Tom van der Zanden 7 years ago
What kind of printer are you using?