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Drambeenie · 11-02-2017, 11:08 PM

If you've been following the threads here and here one thing I've been talking about lately has been the quality of the parts.

I've spoken to many people who had no idea about the type of 3D printing that's been used for creating this part, so I thought it would be great to talk a little bit more about that.

3D Printing: Many different flavors, many different results.

When people typically think of 3D printing, they imagine FDM - Fuse deposition modeling. Basically a glue gun of plastic builds really tiny layers (typically 200µ or 100µ - Layer height). This is the "cheapest" but most consumer friendly 3D printing available. Unfortunately the finish layer lines are very obvious and difficult to finish, which is why it didn't suit my needs for this part - But it was great for prototypes and test fitment! (As seen below)

Then there's SLS and SLA 3D printing, which is what the Drambeenie risers are made of. The risers are made of two pieces. If the cover was the only part of this project, it would be much cheaper - But the part is much more complicated than at first blush. The inner core is really where the strength holds up. But the cover with the core make it unbreakable.

The covers are SLA (Stereolithography) printed. Imagine a giant puddle of goo, and a projector that flashes into the goo. The projector and the goo interact and where the light is shined, the goo hardens. Then the really thin hardened layer is lifted and another image is projected and the goo hardens. Seriously some sci-fi shit. See below.

This material is extremely strong, similar to ABS and the finish is nearly perfect. SLA printing will for sure get you the highest quality print that requires minimal finishing before being painted. ABS has a tensile strength of 6,600 PSI, the same as the Somos material we're using. If ABS is the go-to material for automotive performance, it's what I wanted to match with my part. Here are some pics right out of the printer with no finishing yet done.

See how smooth?

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) is what makes the inner core and is a pretty fascinating technology. I only learned about it as I set on this adventure to make this part. Basically what happens is a sheet of powder is spread on a plate. Then a laser sinters the powder. Another sheet of powder is spread across, and then more laser sintering. After several hours, it builds up and then you can retrieve your part from this powder - as if you're dusting off Dinosaur bones.

The inner core is Glass Nylon. So similar to how fiberglass is a fiberglass reinforced plastic, this material is glass reinforce nylon. Because this piece is made with lasers, it requires extremely high temperatures which is a lot of electricity over the hours and hours it's required to print the part. Plus the powder is also pretty pricey.

The Glass Nylon has a tensile strength of 5,200PSI and a Flexural strength of 8,800PSI. Of course the design plays a big part in the piece's strength so we tried multiple prototypes and landed on a design that has 0 flex, vibration or bending when driving - Even on extremely cobblestone NYC streets.

Here you can see the inner workings of the cover.

Hopefully that gives you some insight, and some behind the scenes into the development of the part!

I'm currently running a two week pre-order, which you can find more info here!

Let me know if you have any question's about this process. I'm happy to chat!

11-02-2017, 11:08 PM	#268
Drambeenie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Drives: Black 17 BRZ LT MT PP Location: NYC Posts: 470 Thanks: 499 Thanked 518 Times in 202 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	If you've been following the threads here and here one thing I've been talking about lately has been the quality of the parts. I've spoken to many people who had no idea about the type of 3D printing that's been used for creating this part, so I thought it would be great to talk a little bit more about that. 3D Printing: Many different flavors, many different results. When people typically think of 3D printing, they imagine FDM - Fuse deposition modeling. Basically a glue gun of plastic builds really tiny layers (typically 200µ or 100µ - Layer height). This is the "cheapest" but most consumer friendly 3D printing available. Unfortunately the finish layer lines are very obvious and difficult to finish, which is why it didn't suit my needs for this part - But it was great for prototypes and test fitment! (As seen below) Then there's SLS and SLA 3D printing, which is what the Drambeenie risers are made of. The risers are made of two pieces. If the cover was the only part of this project, it would be much cheaper - But the part is much more complicated than at first blush. The inner core is really where the strength holds up. But the cover with the core make it unbreakable. The covers are SLA (Stereolithography) printed. Imagine a giant puddle of goo, and a projector that flashes into the goo. The projector and the goo interact and where the light is shined, the goo hardens. Then the really thin hardened layer is lifted and another image is projected and the goo hardens. Seriously some sci-fi shit. See below. This material is extremely strong, similar to ABS and the finish is nearly perfect. SLA printing will for sure get you the highest quality print that requires minimal finishing before being painted. ABS has a tensile strength of 6,600 PSI, the same as the Somos material we're using. If ABS is the go-to material for automotive performance, it's what I wanted to match with my part. Here are some pics right out of the printer with no finishing yet done. See how smooth? SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) is what makes the inner core and is a pretty fascinating technology. I only learned about it as I set on this adventure to make this part. Basically what happens is a sheet of powder is spread on a plate. Then a laser sinters the powder. Another sheet of powder is spread across, and then more laser sintering. After several hours, it builds up and then you can retrieve your part from this powder - as if you're dusting off Dinosaur bones. The inner core is Glass Nylon. So similar to how fiberglass is a fiberglass reinforced plastic, this material is glass reinforce nylon. Because this piece is made with lasers, it requires extremely high temperatures which is a lot of electricity over the hours and hours it's required to print the part. Plus the powder is also pretty pricey. The Glass Nylon has a tensile strength of 5,200PSI and a Flexural strength of 8,800PSI. Of course the design plays a big part in the piece's strength so we tried multiple prototypes and landed on a design that has 0 flex, vibration or bending when driving - Even on extremely cobblestone NYC streets. Here you can see the inner workings of the cover. Hopefully that gives you some insight, and some behind the scenes into the development of the part! I'm currently running a two week pre-order, which you can find more info here! Let me know if you have any question's about this process. I'm happy to chat!