Does anyone have a 3D printer on their boat?

[Lasivian]

Originally Posted by two-rocks

I have a monoprice mini that I have though about bringing on the boat....uses a 12v 'brick" - easy to power straight from the battery, but in my case (lidepo4) I could run it from the victron orion smart dc-dc in power supply mode at the voltage I set....

Yeah, that would work if you have enough wattage for a sustained period. I'm debating going 24v. I asked some designers and they said that recent printers have moved to 24v, which would end up drawing less watts for the hot end. But only require a 12v -> 24v converter.

[rabbi]

On many / most cruising boat you will already have a suitable 110/220 power supply so its easier to use that. It's inefficient but at maybe 50-80W I would not care.

If you want to run a printer on 12v you'd need a DC-DC converter because your "12V" could well be 14V or more when charging and electronics don't like that.

I don't think that the gentle motion of a boat at anchor would affect the printer, unless some powerboat critter passes too close at full speed.
Is it useful? Well, it seems a printer always finds some use cases.

[Lasivian]

Originally Posted by rabbi

If you want to run a printer on 12v you'd need a DC-DC converter because your "12V" could well be 14V or more when charging and electronics don't like that.

Most modern electronics have a voltage regulator so 14v would be fine. The board on my current 12v printer for example can actually handle 7v-20v without issue.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Actually, hulls have been printed. At least one; I read the article maybe a year ago.

Sure and the US Marine Corp has printed a building too, but neither is actually in production and that what I meant, one day we will be looking at printed dinghy hulls first maybe, then bigger later?
Metal can certainly be printed and things can be built by additive manufacturing that can’t by subtractive, cause printing is of course adding, where machining is taking away.
https://www.ge.com/reports/treat-avg...rcraft-engine/
This is soon to be in actual production, EASA Certification first, FAA to follow I’m sure.

Printing is definitely going to change things in the future, just it’s my understanding that what us mere mortals can afford, can basically make toys etc. the friend I had would take the parts printed and soak them or wash them in acetone to smooth the surfaces, but that was guess 7 or 8 years ago?

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by Lasivian

Don't take my word for it.

Thanks, I won’t.

My printed components are nowhere near as strong as injection moulded ones of the exact design. I know this from several years of printing my own stuff. Your printer is probably vastly superior to mine, mine is a strictly hobbyist unit, yours makes saleable products.

I would never use anything that comes off my printer in any application that requires high structural integrity. YMMV.

[nwdiver]

A friend uses a monoprice mini to make fishing lures on his boat, the system paid for itself after 12-15 lures, I find it fascinating.......

[Compass790]

Rocket labs here in NZ 3d print their propulsion units. They are building rockets to launch commercial satellites in the future.
It is rocket science...
Sorry couldn't resist

[Tenedos]

Originally Posted by Compass790

Rocket labs here in NZ 3d print their propulsion units. They are building rockets to launch commercial satellites in the future.
It is rocket science...
Sorry couldn't resist

If commercial 3d printing is some reference, helmets used in SpaceX suits (those looking to come out of sci-fi movies) are 3d printed.

I am just curious on what is available to us mere mortals ;-)

[Tenedos]

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

Thanks, I won’t.

My printed components are nowhere near as strong as injection moulded ones of the exact design. I know this from several years of printing my own stuff. Your printer is probably vastly superior to mine, mine is a strictly hobbyist unit, yours makes saleable products.

I would never use anything that comes off my printer in any application that requires high structural integrity. YMMV.

Lasvian, is what is the printer and material you are using?

[Lasivian]

Originally Posted by Tenedos

Lasvian, is what is the printer and material you are using?

At the moment I have a Rostock Max (That could use some tuning) and mainly print PLA. Tho lately i'm doing a lot of PETG. It's a nice printer, but way, WAY too big for a boat.

[NPCampbell]

I'd get a mini mill before I would get a 3D printer. With something like a Sieg X2 mini mill you can butter through aluminum and 1/4" stainless is doable. The drawback is that they are messy and they weigh around 150 pounds.

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by NPCampbell

I'd get a mini mill before I would get a 3D printer. With something like a Sieg X2 mini mill you can butter through aluminum and 1/4" stainless is doable. The drawback is that they are messy and they weigh around 150 pounds.

Please don’t buy a Sieg X2 mini mill if your expectation is that it will manage 6mm (1/4”) of stainless steel. You’ll be disappointed. And not only are they inherently messy, without a coolant supply (10xmessy) onto the cutter, you’ll go through cutters like butter, not material. And to keep the bed rust-free on a boat will be a serious challenge.

I know this because I have one in my home workshop. Nice little machine but strictly light-weight hobby stuff. With a 4mm end mill and coolant it will manage cuts in SS of maybe 1/10th of a mm at a time without a problem. So to cut a 2mm deep slot could take a couple of hours. I don’t machine even mild steel without copious coolant flow - plastic, wood and aluminium mostly.

[NPCampbell]

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

Please don’t buy a Sieg X2 mini mill if your expectation is that it will manage 6mm (1/4”) of stainless steel. You’ll be disappointed.

It will absolutely do 1/4 steel. It's not a Tormach. It will take time. Yes, you are correct, you can only plunge at around 1/4 mm per pass with the appropriate feed rates (using a larger end mill than 4mm). I've done a handful of 1/8" steel mounting plates. It took about 10-15 passes per side. Maybe 30 minutes per piece?

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

And not only are they inherently messy, without a coolant supply (10xmessy) onto the cutter, you’ll go through cutters like butter, not material.

I hand apply vegetable oil as a coolant for steel and shop vac the chips. I don't use any coolant for aluminum.

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

And to keep the bed rust-free on a boat will be a serious challenge.

No doubt.

[SaylorMade]

I've been 3D printing for years, but don't find it essential.
Plastic parts are not faring well over time in the sunlight, but you can make fun small thingies for use indoors or replace them often. I have a small clip to hold the main halyard while motoring, and a special handle to open the watertank filler (so I stop loosing winch handles). Stuff like that.

I always cringe a bit, when people deem 3D printing as the future. It's just another way of fabricating stuff, that has advantages but also disadvantages. There are parts that are much better made in a milling machine and vice versa.
So yes it is part of the future, but will just be another tool in the mix.

Also there are designs and shapes that you cannot reasonably make with a 3D printer due to it's nature, unless you will accept a ton of support material and hence low surface quality.
Many people are also not aware that printing stuff takes a loooong time if the parts are bigger than just small pieces..

Oh well, still love my 3D printer and it is great fun in the winter to do small projects.

[NPCampbell]

Originally Posted by SaylorMade

I've been 3D printing for years, but don't find it essential.
Plastic parts are not faring well over time in the sunlight, but you can make fun small thingies for use indoors or replace them often. I have a small clip to hold the main halyard while motoring, and a special handle to open the watertank filler (so I stop loosing winch handles). Stuff like that.

I imagine PLA has a lifetime of days in a hot marine environment. ABS and PET probably do pretty well.