With a background in engineering, Dave units out to design, mannequin, and 3D print customized made bike pedals utilizing NylonX.
Up to date on April 25, 2023
by
Alec Richter
Regardless of being famend for the site visitors and sprawling cities that mix collectively, there are a number of parks and climbing trails all through Southern California. Not too removed from our workplace is a motorcycle path, the place you’ll be able to usually discover Dave doing a fast circuit round it on his lunch break. With most shopper items, it is common to search out one thing that matches most of your standards, however not all of them, and bike pedals aren’t completely different. With an engineer’s modeling toolbelt, Dave got down to create the bike pedal that was good for him utilizing NylonX.
Why NylonX?
Whereas different supplies would possibly print properly sufficient, they do not normally have sufficient power to carry as much as main forces; a hat hook is straightforward, one thing you stand on is not. NylonX is a composite mix of a nylon 6 base infused with chopped carbon fiber strands, creating a cloth that is as sturdy as nylon however as robust and inflexible as carbon fiber. While you want one thing that’s going to be going through some pressure and needs to be powerful, NylonX is our materials of selection. Relying on the terrain of a path or the specified exercise, at instances Dave might have to face on his pedals whereas biking, so he wants one thing rock stable to assist him.
What Printer Can Deal with NylonX?
There’s just one printer that may print NylonX out of the field with out damaging the machine: The Pulse XE. Most different 3D printers in the marketplace will want some modification, from minor modifications like a brand new nozzle to main modifications like a brand new extruder and hotend system, however the Pulse XE has been designed and tailor-made particularly to be the absolute best expertise when 3D printing with NylonX. Most 3D printers have a brass nozzle for thermal conductivity, however it’s additionally very comfortable and wears rapidly with the abrasive chopped carbon fiber stands, whereas the Pulse XE has an Olsson Ruby nozzle which has an precise ruby within the tip of it for wear-free printing. In the event you’re desirous about studying extra concerning the Pulse XE, test it out right here.
The Olsson Ruby solves the issue of abrasiveness, however what about mattress adhesion? Nylon is notoriously warpy (though not as dangerous as ABS), so mattress adhesion is extraordinarily essential to maintain the correct form and dimensions as soon as your modeled half is printed. Garolite solves that drawback; an interwoven glass fiber cloth impregnated with epoxy resin, making a construct plate simply textured sufficient to grip onto your nylon or NylonX print. And if you pair garolite with the Flexplate system, you could be completely sure that your half will stick and launch with ease.
The Pulse XE does a wonderful job at printing NylonX with its particularly chosen parts
Creating the Bike Pedals
As soon as the fabric and printer had been decided, Dave began modeling the pedal for his particular design constraints, just like the bearings, shaft, and threaded studs it will want to connect to it. With a pair take a look at prints to ensure the form and performance had been proper, he printed a pedal out and assembled all of the components and took it out for a take a look at spin.
On the fundamentals, Dave printed NylonX with an extruder temperature of 255C, a mattress temperature of 70C, 50mm/s, and the layer cooling fan utterly off.
NylonX and the Pulse XE had been the right mixture of fabric and machine to deal with what Dave wanted.
To learn concerning the particular settings, suggestions, and greatest practices when printing with NylonX, learn extra in our article all about Succeeding with NylonX.
