Fascinating 3D Printing Design Technique (
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- I stumbled on a cool 3D design technique and have been playing it with the idea for the last week. Join me to discover how ZiptieCity can improve your life!
UPDATE: I created a Fusion360 Tutorial on a new channel. I will be posting tutorials there regularly, as I've found it's a medium I can create good content quickly. Check it out if you're interested in how it was made! • Fusion360 Tutorial: #...
P.S. - This technique has been in the wild for years, but it is new to me!
P.P.S. - I never looked closely enough at the cutters I used in this video to realize they are not actual flush-cutters (they are almost-flush cutters). Please use real flush cutters when trimming ziptie tails!
==TIMELINE==
00:00 - Introduction
01:59 - Welcome to #ziptiecity
04:31 - Mating parts with zipties
05:51 - Electronics Application
07:26 - Wiring Diagram
08:19 - Timelapse Construction
10:40 - Mistakes Were Made
11:43 - WWIAFTM
Stuff in this video:
* Ziptiecity Model: www.printables.com/model/2482... (use it to test whether your printer & filament & settings successfully print all orientations)
* Inspirational Design: Kingroon Orbiter2.0+E3D-V6 hotend mount: www.printables.com/model/1496...
* Zip ties: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
* 18650 lithium ion batteries: The ones in this video are from a decommissioned cordless vacuum, but I've gotten them from www.imrbatteries.com/18650-ba... and 18650batterystore.com (both are somewhat pricey but I have increased confidence they are not cheap chinese crap)
* 2S Battery Management System (BMS): www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
* The voltage boosters for charging from MicroUSB and to boost from batteries to 12V: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
* Wago wire connectors: www.amazon.com/Splicing-Conne... - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
For those who use Blender or other mesh tools instead of Fusion360, it's really easy to make a small library of parts that you can boolean-subtract from your model. A zip tie channel is just a 4-sided torus you subtract. A magnet mount is just a cylinder you subtract. Keep a few of these ready to cut-and-paste into your designs.
or parametric modewlling, you just make a rectangle, and revolve remove
It is even easier in OpenSCAD.
I’ve never considered a library like that even though I’ve 4-5 parts I used to add to my designs.
But never Substract thx for this idea.
you can do the exact same in fusion360 or solidworks
@@Nyihm226 The difference is it's so much easier in Fusion you typically don't need a library of toroids and cylinders. I still kind of want to learn Blender though, for all the things Fusion can't do
Pro tip for when you are trying to route the zip ties through the channels. Kink the tip of the zip tie to bias it in the direction of the channel you are aiming it through. This reduces the chance of snagging on the ridges left over from the 3d printing (less of an issue with resin prints). I use the same technique when routing zipties through other awkward places and it works a treat as long as the tie is only going to bend in one direction.
Enabling combing and setting it to "Within infill" would have prevented the stringing on those designs, even if you don't have temps dialed in. It forces all travels to occur in the infill, meaning any stringing will happen inside the print. As long there is a path within the infill for it to get from A to B it will avoid passing over the skin boundary, even maneuvering around internal cavities. It adds a little time to the print because the longer travels, but eliminates stringing in this situation.
Absolutely!
Combing seems like a waste of time due to long and weird moves, but the difference in print-quality can be astounding.
It doesn't always save a lot on retractions (this can be very model-specific!) but stringing with PETG is gone now!
Excellent point! I just recently learned about that option (I just switched to Cura from Simplify3D which I don't think had it). I'm still digging through it and trying to find all the cool features I've been missing out on. I'm almost always okay with longer print times to improve quality, so I'll keep that in mind.
There are quite a few orientations where this wouldn’t help though, it will only really work if the middle part of the zip tie hole is parallel to the build plate, anything else and it can’t stay within the infill and will need to move outside the outline of the part in order to print the middle of the zip tie slot.
Worse comes to worst...you could use baling wire to open any stringy holes. It's rigid enough to have the strength to push through but pliable enough that they can maneuver the zip channel.
This is a good example of a feature that would be difficult to manufacture using injection molding or machining, but is very easy on 3d printed parts
What's hard about doing this on injection molded parts? Is it not just adding a little arch in the mold where the ziptie would go? Just asking out of curiosity.
@@senya6095 It's about how you separate the mold to remove the part. It can be done, but adds a huge amount of cost.
@@senya6095 a mold is usually 2 parts that pull away from eachother so the part can be removed. Any holes or internal channels will lock the part to the mold, so you'll need to have those articulate and pull out so the part can be released. Or you have to install disposable plugs into each mold that are burnt or melted out later, or drill the holes after molding, which is an additionL step and hard/impossible to do for a curved internal channel.
The second issue is you will have a seam-line where 2 fronts of the plastic will meet when it is splitting around the hole. It creates a weak point.
Third issue is trapped gasses which require additional vents, otherwise the plastic won't fill the entire mold.
I have nothing but respect for the fact you showed the first failed attempt at wiring the electronics, resulting in the board frying. Other creators might have just kept that out and fixed the issue, to then upload only the successful takes. This shows to every maker out there that the process WILL include failures, and resiliency to push through those fails is just as important of a skill as the technical ones. I would have even loved to hear what the mistake specifically was to learn from it. Excellent design and great video, will look forward for more!
i totally agree! Glad to see it's not just me ;-)
So the angle I want to go with my videos is more education and "the maker experience". And both of those benefit from showing failures. This particular one wasn't contextualized (what happened? I'm still not entirely sure, I just rewired everything and it worked; maybe that boost converter was a cheap chinese dud?), but it still makes people feel better about the hiccups you run into in "real" making. The exact opposite of this is DIY Perks where everything is impossibly clean, picture perfect, and oh-so-easy (just mill your own water cooling heatsinks out of raw blocks of copper, it's so easy! He looks like he's never failed at any project). I'm still figuring out my identity & direction for this channel, but I'll definitely be trying to "keep it real" like in this video. Thanks for the feedback!
@@ObsessiveEngineering oh good ol DIY Perks, honestly impressive how he even manages to make everything look so... Easy. It's impressive because it just isn't easy. I'm glad there are channels like yours, I know you're still working on your identity but I think you're going into the right direction, you got a new sub for sure.
Indeed, what is a good electronics maker video without "MAGIC SMOKE"!
Diy perks makes it easy by telling you the plan then showing a few seconds of executing said plan. It is akin to the Chinese channels that show a hot bartender doing a month's jars labor in "a day"
This is seriously brilliant. It's always the combination of ideas where the best research areas and results are to be found.
I have done both of these!! I often use zip ties in projects. I normally make a doughnut component and subtract it where needed. And I have made a multi output power supply, but mine was used in a large robot. I love that you showed the smoke.. I've done that countless times myself. Once in front of family when I was about to demonstrate something and forgot that I changed the breadboard from last time to test something else lol. Good job!
in fusion 360, make a torus (or donut shape) and save as a separate component. on the sketch you use at a point at 0,0,0. Now all you have to do is load in the component and joint to a surface. then use combine --> cut --> keep tools. this should save you lots of time
I knew prusa did this for their mk3 printer for cable management. However, the point you made of bonding multiple parts together with zip ties is absolutly genius and I am absolutely going to encorporate that into my future projects
Yeah, it seems powerful for prototyping, and maybe if you have enough material for the ziptie to grab and make a recess for the head to slip into you can make it strong and look good, too! Though I think I will still prefer heat-set inserts for mating parts together: hackaday.com/2019/02/28/threading-3d-printed-parts-how-to-use-heat-set-inserts/
The original Prusa MK2 is like 70% zipties
@@wachocs16 yepp, i remember it taking it a while
It would be awesome if the channels had an extra recess so the zip-tie head sits flush!
Came for the zip ties stayed for the fire lol
Love the zip tie channels. The first I encountered them was with some of the Voron parts and I agree, they are just the coolest. The Wacky Waving Wiggling mini is one of my children's favorite toys. I just heard it kick on and found out my son brought it on vacation with us in his backpack! Excellent video, love all your investigation into what options and orientations would work!
Re zip tying items together. You can even use 2 zipties run one through a block then use the head of the other to fasten it. I have used this technique to replace nylon or small bolts/nuts that don't require much torque
Got me at zip ties. The best invention ever.
Very good fastening technique especially in class where you have kids building stuff. Easy to undo. No glue mess. No fiddling around with screw. Thank you.
Very similar to 'himatashi', curved holes for mounting netsuke. Also seen in some archaic Chinese jade artifacts. Himatashi translates as nostrils.
I did a college paper on netsuke and inro, it's cool to see another fan!
Simple and easy, that’s what it’s all about. I started using dovetail holes for the hot glue could hang on.
Using them to join parts is a good idea. You can even model registration pins to keep the parts from shifting around. 🤓👍
super cool, first video I've seen from you. I love both the zip tie idea and the charger dock! worth a subscribe!
Welcome to TH-cam, I foresee gold in your future
Thanks for sharing! Even if not using zip-ties, this highlights the importance of planning where your wires go in your design.
Wow, the extruder you show at the beginning is my design. Thank you very much for the video, very interesting.
Awesome! I recognize your logo, as it is now permanently etched on the part-cooling fan duct of my Makergear M2 hot end. I actually ended up redesigning most of it to fit my printer better (it was a great learning experience for doing modeling assemblies). I was very impressed with your design and basically followed your formula to make the new version. If you're interested to see it: www.printables.com/model/233063-volcano-orbiter-20-bl-touch-w-makergear-m2-mount-s
One miracle of additive manufaturing.. :)
Your next challenge is to try and 3D print the zip tie receiver with built-in pawl, so that the zip tie doesn't need to loop back on itself. The head of the zip tie can hook into one part of the assembly, the tie can click it's way through the other for a straight line engagement.
That's a very interesting idea! Though I am skeptical you could print enough detail with a regular FDM printer to make it work, and resin prints are likely too weak (I find they wear/fatigue super quickly). Maybe if you designed to a much larger zip-tie size and printed with a material like nylon or polycarbonate.
Looks like a major win for battle bot construction. Especially on a budget. Look how tidy and secure. Screw screws.
I made some zip-tied clam shell electronics enclosures for USBASP and USB/Serial bridges.
The "fun" part of this design was hiding the rectangular locking mechanism in a recess, to make the whole thing clean and smoother on the outside.
Looks like you hit some kind of jackpot on the algorithm here.
I use these often, they're great for really precise wire routing, nice video on em!
The simplest ideas always seem to be the best ideas! Very cool!
Neat! I always like to disassemble old projects for parts, so this comes in handy. Thanks!
You can also pre bend the tip of the zip-tie to help it through the holes. Giving it that initial bend makes it easier for it to turn in the cavity.
Awesome vid! I really enjoyed it!
If you have limited stringing in small holes, sometimes running a small blowtorch over the hole really quickly solves your problem. The hot gasses melt the strings a lot quicker than the other material and smooth out the hole. (doing it outside is advisable)
Great info, you’ve added another tool to my 3D-printer design toolbox :-)
This is like watching NASCAR -- occasionally there is that wreck that you're secretly waiting to happen. It's not often we get to see the smoke get released!
This was neat. Gonna start using this immediately. Thanks for sharing. I'll shout your channel out on my next vid. Great job.
Great idea!! Good job
Good Stuff. Thoroughly inspired. My 3d Printer has been idle for too long. Great Muzak.
Excellent video!
Excellent idea! I know that it was not originally your idea but you took the time to promote it. I appreciate that.
Just subscribed. Keep up with the good work! 😊👍
Hah, I've been doing this since 2013! I thought this was widely known! Hmm, maybe my ideas aren't that dumb after all... I even use zipties on my DIY X-carriage to hold it down to the linear bearings.
I have one piece of advice, ALWAYS use the black zipties. The semitransparent milky white zipties are not UV-resistant and they will become very brittle from sun exposure.
One trick to use to clear those strings from your green cube is a BBQ lighter; simply press the igniter part-way down to get some of the butane coming out, then click ... and poof! All the strands melt off in a flash, but it doesn't affect the rest of the print. I find the jet kind works better than the standard flame style.
Thanks for the tip !!
Zip ties are great, I love them too! Just wanted to add a note that the zip tie technique is good for design you won't untie them in the future. For designs that needs to untie, better use untie-able zip ties or other methods.
This kind of zip tie mount is common in airplanes. When I used to build them, there would be lots of these mounts to hold the wires down because they were easy to remove if need be
Epic. That bad ending happens to me far too often. Alas, it's part of the process.
This is freakn' neat. IT's also great for project you need to attach but can clamp down. So you can apply some glue, zip the ties, and everything is gonna line up perfect!
I love this!
You can easily do this right in Prusia slicer. Just keep a file of a ring of the right size. Import it and mark it as a negative volume and the slicer will make the holes wherever you put the ring.
Excellent! I used two zip ties as nut and bolt replacements on a simple toy project with my grandson. The first zip tie (the "Bolt") passed through small holes in the parts to be joined. The second zip tie (the "Nut") had the blobby end containing the ratchet cut off. This "Nut" was zipped onto the "Bolt", and tensioned as needed. Quick and dirty, and not very strong, but ideal in the context of what we were doing. :o) BTW: I tried enlarging the holes for about 6mm at each end so the "blobbies" were below the surface level... it worked OK, but it was a real chore to undo again.
For posting the initial fail - subscribed :)
Just got an excellent idea for making large parts by dovetailing the parts and have the zip ties to be the lock that locks the parts together
This is a great idea. I have a couple projects that need to have very large part that finding practical joining solution has not been straight forward. Thanks!
Use dental picks to clean out tricky holes. Nothing gets out strings like sharpened stainless steel hook!
Lol. Ive used this techinque for my very first 3d model design. A Mastersword as a handle for my fridge was a great idee!
you can also use them as a ratcheting bolt.
have a slotted hole in two parts that lines up put one zip tie through both parts, then just the ratchet part from another zip tie on the other end and press it down.
I think i saw this zip tie technique first on my Prusa machines, but yeah quite a cool, easy and reliable solution +1
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍.... 🇬🇧
I love it!
You should use support over the top of the corner joints so they can sit more flush against each other.
Another easy thing to do is make reusable zip ties. Cut one side of the loop around the latch with a pair of diagonal cutters, nearest to the top. Latch like normal (except only use for light duty things of course). When you want to undo it just lift at the cut and slide it sideways away from the latch. Perfect for wire holders.
And of course you can use any zip tie as reusable like this. Zip like normal, if you need to undo it cut only the side of the head, slide the tie sideways, and you can reuse it for light duty tasks..
Very cool man, yeah I love some ziptie hacks. You can also use pipe clamps in similar ways, like an extra beefy version of the same idea. One thing I've found helpful is in situations where you want to totally eliminate any wobble/shake-age of weighted elements like those batteries: stick a bit of foam between the mount and battery/weight, so the ziptie compresses the foam in a bit. Should stabilize it nicely. Probably better on the 3d printed frames than direct attachment too, less fracturing forces applied during drops or whatnot. Be well, happy hacking. Viva La Wacky Wavy Inflatable Flailing Tube Arm Man!
No more hot glue! You could use metal zip ties to clear blocked zip tie holes
This is a good justification for buying a 3D printer . . . it does the complete job !
Enjoyed the video. Neato.
Noice! I've been joining working parts with zip ties for a long time, and it's amazing how light and strong they are, including holding my proto snowboard bindings together (working for multiple seasons). Get yourself a zip-tie gun: tightens to an adjustable tension and snips the end perfectly all in one action. You will not regret it..
I wish I had seen this 2 weeks ago when I started my outer shell cast print. This would have been perfect for holding the mold together.
I think you could also mate parts with a straight zip-tie channel and using the clasp from a second zip-tie.
you could probably use the metal blades inside your old windshield wipers clear out those channels (when you're not making lockpicks outof them at least....) spring steel is amazing.
if you have problem pushing the zip tie through... cut off the outermost part (thats flimsier) . you could cut in different angles for different types of obatructions too
Rat Rig printers use this. When I build my V-Minion there were lots of these zip channel for cable management.
I'm just about to build a RatRig! Though I just finished printing all the parts for the V-Core-3 (in that beautiful blue/teal color) and I didn't notice any zip-tie channels. Maybe it's a V-minion thing.
@@ObsessiveEngineering Have you printed the EVA parts yet?
@@ObsessiveEngineering Oh, I just thought. The V-Core is designed for drag chains, the V-Minion isn’t (unless you use Squirrelbrain’s mod). That’s probably why cable tie channels show up on the V-Minion more.
@@JonS Yes! I actually found a local fablab and was able to get the EVA parts printed in nylon 12 on a Formlabs Fuse 1 (my dream printer). I did everything else myself in that blue/teal ASA.
You can also use a zip tie and just the head of a used one to make as a slim sort of screw and nut combo. It's something I think about but I don't think I've ever implemented.
yo you need to upload more your channel is great
Thanks! Working on more content now...
Noice
I like your videos man, keep it going
Thanks!
I've also done this with elastic cord to make 3d printed shock mounts
Okay, this is a nice feature. Looks good.
Only one thing, it would be useful to stop the battery drainage to the voltage-regulators, they need some current even if there is no load at the output.
Maybe with a simple switch or you use a MosFET and switch the Gate on (high) and off (low).
Printrbot used the sheet metal version of this for wire retention in a clever way, they'd cut a cable path that was mostly closed but with a small cutout to get to the edge of the sheet metal, then after you set all of your wires through the small channel into the larger section, you'd put a zip tie in perpendicular to the "inlet slot" to turn the "mostly closed cutout" into a "fully closed cutout".
Thanks I cannot picture this at all 🤣
I designed some of these on a job a few years back and I must have used them on 100 different designs since😂
I guess it's an extension on the method used in machines like printers, photocopiers etc. that have stamped components with pairs of zip tie holes stamped where required. Pretty neat.
Another idea from the same source would be cable channels that have "fingers" extending most of the way across the top, allowing the wires to be tucked under them and held in place. 3D printing might be a bit marginal in its strength, but would still work fine with a bit of "upscaling".
Clever! Have never thought about adding those but now that you mention it! And just a small advice for the future, please hold your hands and the part still and not shake them back and forth, I understand that you want to emphasize the awesomeness but it made me dizzy 😆
Just to recommend using a flush cutter to handle those zip tie ends, in order to avoid sharp edges
You know what's funny, *I thought I was* using flush cutters. It wasn't until I received some criticism on Reddit that I realized that those aren't actually flush cutters in the video! They are "almost flush" cutters (I just made that up). I never looked closely enough to realize that they actually have a slight angle/recess to the cutting edge. The worst part is I have like 5 real flush cutters, so now that I know I have switched .
Those are termed side cutters typically used by electricians dealing with low amp high voltage stuff. Or low volts too. That angle just makes them more durable. PS there great for twisting wire staples out too
amazing clever
Did that already 4 years ago for securing cables to my desk and not rip them out of my computer (e.g. Headphone, USB extensions). Anyway, nice video. :)
hey I've been incorporating that exact technique as of late :)
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What’s the blue parts organizer tray you are using? It looks interesting. Thanks for the video, this is a brilliant technique!
obsessed to sick of in a single video, feels weird.
You can clear stringing by using fisher hook or thin sheet metal
i think you should make a slot to put that wago conectors, só then can bem in a right and tight spot, that wat you can see better the inside of the box and where the wires goes.
I love the demonstration of tying components in with zip ties! I'm going to guess that the smoke came from one of your boost boards? Your configuration stage looks fine, though I'd recommend starting at the lowest rated input voltage for the board. Did you mix up input + output side, maybe? So easy to flip those around accidentally.
Don't run your 5v off of boosted 12v... Each buck/boost you go through requires some heat dissipation. Heat dissipation is stored electricity being thrown away as waste. Run the 5v buck off of your main power bus. What you designed here will work, especially if your loads are low. BUT if you want the most power from your battery, the last thing you want to do is over-process your power. And depebding on your BCM, it might be better for both the 5v and 12v boards connect directly to the battery and not go through the bcm. That depends on if you are going to use more power while on line power, or battery power.
Generally speaking, boost is less efficient than buck, but neither are 100%. Efficiency is the inverse measure of how much power you loose to heat, and each loss is added to the other losses. In your battery circuits, if something is getting hot, you are throwing power away. Don't throw power away. If each circuit looses 10%, then going through 3 means almost a third of your power will never make it to the thing you are powering. Batteries lose a third of their capacity, not what you want for batteries already in a used state. And if a power device says 97% efficient, that is usually a weighted lie, it will be 97% in a very specific range of voltages and currents, it can drop to 10% efficiency if you are too far outside of the "sweet spot" it was designed for, thus throwing away 90% of your battery power.
And put in some filter caps, as those buck/boost devices produce high frequency artifacts. And they can burn each other up if one units artifacts are destructive to the other device. You need some high frequency caps to absorb some of the noise, and some large high-value caps to store energy. Caps take up a lot of space, the maker of the buck/boost is not going to do it for you because they want small cheap boards.
Also keep in mind that each board has a limit to how much power it can handle, so a board moving power for another board is also wasting capacity. AND a buck/boost board is turning on and off at a high frequency to do the power conversion. So if you measure a board at a half amp, what it might actually be doing is switching from 0 amps to 25 amps over and over in a way to average .5 amps. Your volt meter may not see the 25amp spikes, but the upstream electronics WILL if you don't put the right filter capacitors in place. If you want to see the 25 amp spikes, you much learn to measure power with an oscilloscope. I got my oscilloscope training when I was 3, explaining how I could handle 120v mains connections when I was 6. Most people don't get to play with oscilloscopes, but seeing the signals has a lot to do with how much you learn from the doing.
II learned to build power supplied when I was 6, in 1968. We didn't have buck/boost boards we could buy inexpensively, back then... but now that I have 56 years experience, inefficient designs kind of jump out at me... While I was critical, my goal is to be helpful.
Thank you for the electronics lesson (seriously). At the time I made this video, my electronics skills were still pretty elementary, enough to hack this kind of stuff together, in a way that superficially works. Since then, I have created many systems, particularly ones using motor drivers and other voltage regulators, usually using a small and a large capacitor for that high- and low-freq filtering as you mentioned.
As for chaining them together, the reason I didn't want to run the 5V directly off the battery was that typically they recommend having 2-3V headroom for the buck'ing. Since the battery runs with a nominal 7.4V, and could drop to 6V at the lower charge levels, I thought it might not be "safe" to run 5V directly from it. Having 12V starting point for the 5V buck would be safer--in theory. But as you've pointed out, there are potential issues with this, which I liken to the way the light dimmer switches interact poorly with LED lights. I avoided that fate here, but I imagine other combinations of voltages, or maybe even brands of regulators might not work out.
Neat 👍
It also tests how well booleans work in this piece of software. Try doing that in 3dsmax... XD
Now I'm obsessed too, need to improve my printer in order to use them T_T
Clever
magic smoke♥
neat! subbing to see what else you come up w/ :)
To break the strings in the holes, maybe try stainless steel zip-ties?
I printed a custom M-ATX mini case and the top plate uses zip tie mounts similar to these to lock everything in! I ended up using twist-ties instead, as I was having to cut into too many zip ties with constant disassembly!
The smaller PCB I think could also be held in place by using the bulge of the zip tie head as a claw that reaches over the PCB.
Nice video! What was the song used at 8:19? I know I've heard it somewhere before lol
use a steel wire to clean the stringing , a stainless windscreen wiper flat will not bend but can clean the tougher entry ways, try making parts with zipties embedded in the design itself, its even more fancier
I've done some similar ones but I had larger zip ties and as a result I was worried of the longer bridges over air so I made my tip tie tunnels using a near tear drop shape, with a circle joined to a 90⁰ corner at the top... just wanted to share in case you take this concept larger...
And talk about a pretty viral video for such a small channel!! More ppl need to subscribe for sure!
Thanks so much!