I ordered a PLA printed rod @ 300 microns with a support bracket and the final product is considerably more brittle than I expected and is already suffering separation in some connecting barrels and the wall mount will not support the weight of the light weight rod itself. The pieces show many threads that seem not fused, is this typical.? What medium should I request for the next go round as this sample will never work as “The Prototype “. Thank you.
Garyg
2
Have you checked with the Hub that printed your part?
If the rod is printed vertically it will not be near as strong as if the rod prints horizontally.
Photo of your broken part with something to reference its size would be helpful.
The hub that printed your part will more than likely be able to give you the best info on why it failed
to work as you had designed it.
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I hope this helps you in some manner.
Due to the way FDM printers print a layer at a time if the rod was printed standing up it will be quite week to side forces. laying it flat on the bed would make it stronger but need supports and be possibly not as round on bottom half close to bed due to overhangs. Also depending how printed part is used the layers may delaminate easier in that way.
Check out this guide on layer strength for where the force is being applied. How to design parts for FDM 3D printing | Hubs
PLA is also typically a weaker material, it doesnt have much flex. ABS is stronger and has some small flex before snapping, same with petg. A nylon such as Taulmann bridge or alloy 910 might also be a lot stronger.
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