Materials

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Materials

Release status: unknown

Description	Current or candidate materials for use in a RepRap
License	unknown
Author	User:Buback
Contributors
Based-on	Mendel
Categories
CAD Models
External Link

Here is a list of parts and the materials used (or not used) on a RepRap Mendel. The goal here is to brainstorm new materials that are better, cheaper, easier to work, or easier to acquire, as well as to explain why particular materials succeed or fail. This page can also be used to judge the most successful materials used by the community. eventually maybe we can add some code so that we can vote for particular materials. In the meantime, just edit this page to add info or examples for both failures and successes

Goals for this page:
a)List all materials used and the reason for use
b) List failed materials with reason/theory of failure
c)List untested but promising materials and explain their potential.

Metals

Steel

Used to form the frame of Mendel, as well as for bearings and bolts/nuts/washers

Galvanized

cheaper than stainless

Stainless

No corrosion

Aluminum

Low mass: when used in moving parts smaller motors can possibly be used. not as strong as steel though, so may flex if not sized properly

Brass

Used for nozzle of extruder. Not sure why brass is used; maybe it doesn't expand much when heated?,

quote from Team Open Air[1]:

The reason that people started off with copper and brass is because they are EXCELLENT conductors of heat, and we want the heat from the nichrome wire wrapped around the nozzle to be conducted inside to the plastic to melt it. However, with a thin, long cylinder it is very easy for the heat to move inward, even with an insulating material for the nozzle. But the copper and brass also carry it sideways a LONG ways, requiring a long rod of PTFE or other high temp plastic to isolate the heat of the nozzle from the stepper motor and any electronics.

Plastics

PTFE

AKA Teflon. Used in extruder nozzles and Bowen extruders for it's low friction.

Extruded

ABS

Nophead had some problems [2] with his x axis carriage degrading from the heat coming off his extruder nozzle. suggests that low temp exposure will shorten the lifetime of extruded parts. reflective heat shield or fan might mitigate this issue, or a carriage design change that moves extruded parts away from the hot end.

Wood

Easy to work roughly, but precision can be difficult without really good tools.

Glass/Ceramic

When used as a bed parts come off very flat, but a heated bed might be required. Possibility of using glass as a nozzle being explored [3].