If you’d like higher 3D-printed overhangs, you want higher cooling, proper? What could be higher for cooling than printing submerged in water? It seems [CPSdrone] tried it, and, at the very least for overhangs, it appears to work fairly effectively. Test it out within the video beneath.
In fact, there are some downsides. First, the elements of the 3D printer don’t need to work in water. The blokes used deionized water to attenuate water conductivity and in addition sealed open connections. Some parts had been changed with equivalents that had been much less more likely to corrode. Nonetheless, the bearings within the stepper are nonetheless going to corrode in some unspecified time in the future.
There’s no free lunch, although. Cooling is sweet for some elements of 3D printing. However for the new elements, it might settle down an excessive amount of. They encased the new finish in a big silicon block to assist stop this. In addition they potted the controller board, which works however makes future upkeep and upgrades painful. Preliminary checks appeared promising.
They lastly put the modified printer in a water tank and acquired some prints. Overhangs had been good — particularly excessive overhangs — however layer adhesion, as you may anticipate, suffers. They speculate that heating the water might assist. Nonetheless, the elements appeared usable. There have been a number of trials alongside the best way, however they solved all the issues, at the very least for a short while.
Ultimately, bridges didn’t look a lot better, and, as a aspect impact, the prints had been filled with water once they got here up and doing. The following apparent take a look at is to do the printing in a public swimming pool. It’s uncertain that’s any higher, nevertheless it definitely makes dialog starter on the native pool.
We’re a sucker for novel 3D printers. Of simply something that mixes uncommon objects with 3D printing.