I’m trying to print a cover for an exhaust of a valve at work that slides on over the muffler. I’m using some type of PLA at the moment but I’m trying to learn what material would be better.
Any suggestions? Oh, printing on an E3V2 with a Micro Swiss hot end (not direct mounted )
Not hot at all! the valve exhaust air used to operate pneumatic valves and simple de-energizes the valve for zero energy requirements. The mufflers have been getting coated with slurries (I’m at a mine) that dry and plug the muffler.
They are inside, nothing crazy hot and should never get to close to freezing. Humidity, yep, there’s water everywhere, but I do not know that measurement. Cycle times, once in a blue moon, only used when the need to do maintenance and they usually what till something breaks. That’s why the build up on some of these valves go unchecked.
Great questions, thanks for asking!
My alternate goal is if the mine likes my idea, I’ll sell them. There would be enough to get one of those E3S1 here at work! I could easily think of a few other items i could print.
I have used PETG with carbon fiber for some items at work, for a cobot. A friend here uses PETG to make shot glasses, they hold the liquid but not dishwasher safe.
Based entirely on CNCKitchen’s videos wherein he discovered that PLA is surprisingly durable, I’d be inclined to just stick with the PLA one unless you find it’s degrading quickly.
If I’m remembering Stefan’s conclusions properly, he decided that PLA is pretty much the strongest filament available, all other factors being the same, unless the part is subjected to temps above 45C or so. He did find some advantages to PETG when there are multiple parts that are mechanically joined - such as being screwed together. But it was close, either way. So if the environment the part is in isn’t getting too warm, and given that PLA is (IIRC) more humidity resistant than most of the plastics, I don’t know there’s a real advantage in moving to anything else.
In my personal experience, if you’re going to finish a part so it doesn’t look like a 3d print, ABS is much, much easier to sand and solvent-weld than anything else. But that’s not a factor here.
So, ya. I’d probably stick to PLA unless it seemed to be failing.
PLA is probably your best bet, the only thing is if the air system has an oiler on it some aromatic oils will go right through it. the other issue is water, it will make it brittle which isn’t a problem but you might want to have spares for when someone has to work on the valve or put it in your PM schedule to just change them out at intervals, they may break easily.
I use a fair bit of 3d printer parts at work. When I think of what you could be encountering would be better to look at chemical resistance.
PLA does not do well with acids. (Nitric, acetic acid 28%, Hydrochloric 20%) it fails quite quickly. Strong solvents as well.
PETg is far better with acids, not so good with solvents.
ASA is good with the acids I checks (listed, others?) sucks with solvents.
polypropylene stood up to everything but is a pain to print well.
Delrin or POM is crazy hard to print. But it stood up to everything I threw at it. It is a pain to manage.
Petg is a good starting point, I would suggest a larger nozzle, 0.8 it is stringer and perhaps higher temps to promote better adhesion. Unless it matters if it is a little ugly…