Small-batch plastic forming (or maybe 3d printing)

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chevrolux

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#242156 13-Oct-2018 18:00

I want to get some custom wall plates (ie PDL 600 series wall plate) made to mount custom mqtt multi-sensors around the house.

Had a go at modify a blank PDL600 wall plate, but just don't have the patience or skill to do it well - used a dremel with all sorts of different fittings.

So basically it would be based off a PDL600 blank plate, with some openings on the front and forms in the back to hold each sensor (temp, motion, light).

Had a bit of a Google but just wasn't really sure what is best. Looking for recommendations on the best way to go about this. If the 3D printing route, what software do you make the model in?

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#2107397 13-Oct-2018 18:06

Could you CNC it out of an existing blank plate?

Richard rich.ms

chevrolux

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#2107401 13-Oct-2018 18:20

Ooo not a bad idea.

What I really want are little "keepers" formed on the back of the plate to hold a sensor (ie DHT22), and maybe even a mechanism to hold a wemos d1 mini on the back of the plate too.
The idea being keeping hot glue down to a minimum and having a relatively professional final product.

richms

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#2107420 13-Oct-2018 18:47

Then look at plates other than the PDL ones, there are clipsal (I think) with a large machinable area that isnt a cover and 4 standoffs on the back. Looks like the deta power sockets that bunnings now sell so they may have copied that part of the design over to their blank plates too.

Richard rich.ms

Talkiet

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#2107421 13-Oct-2018 18:51

You should absolutely have the openings CNCed (noting that you can't do perfect right angle corners but filing the last little curve out would be easy). If you need something to hold them on the back, 3d print something and glue it on the back.

CNCing something that small and plastic ought to be easy for anyone with any sort of CNC machine...

Cheers - N

Interestingly I have a bunch of MQTT multisensors around the house that I always intended to make pretty but they're all in ugly 3d printed boxes at the moment - I might have another look at it now.

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

chevrolux

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#2107444 13-Oct-2018 20:53

richms - yea I did see some plates like that. I didn't see any with standoffs that would actually suit me - not high enough to mount something on and then clear what would be underneath on the faceplate.

Talkiet - I like that idea of CNCing the front and then just attaching a 3d printed part to the back as that could hold sensors and the wemos board. Thinking about it, it would probably be really simple on just a standard mill. How would I go about designing the part? ie. what software?

Talkiet

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#2107447 13-Oct-2018 21:11

Software - Fusion360. Free for hobbyist use. Lots of tutorials on Youtube - don't expect to be able to do anything sensible with it without watching a couple of beginners guides and following along with their simple examples.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Tinkerisk

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#2107472 13-Oct-2018 22:03

Picked up one hour ago at post office this little guy for 150€ (~250NZ$, shipment and tax included) to play around at home before scaling up and permitted use of professional 3D-printers in the company. Print quality for THAT price - awsome!

We use modular wall plates so the printing range for a single module fitting in a 1, 2, 3 or even more units base frame is sufficient for that purpose.

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chevrolux

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#2107631 14-Oct-2018 11:14

Ok cool, so I work out how to use Fusion... and then who will print the parts? I found a site that seems to be a kind of broker for 3D printing shops all over the place.
But is there a recommendation of a shop that will do a run of say 10 of these?

Talkiet

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#2107677 14-Oct-2018 15:36

chevrolux: Ok cool, so I work out how to use Fusion... and then who will print the parts? I found a site that seems to be a kind of broker for 3D printing shops all over the place.
But is there a recommendation of a shop that will do a run of say 10 of these?

Honestly? Buy a cheap 3d printer.

- Your first model will be wrong and won't fit.

- Your second model will almost fit but you thought of a better way to model it so you'll do that.

- Your 3rd model (new design)... Won't fit

- Your 4th model will fit, but your requirements will have changed and you need to mount a different sensor

- Your 5th model works.

When you own a 3d printer, this is no big deal. If you're getting someone else to make things for you, it's infuriating and you won't get it done.

I can recommend the Anycubic I3 mega very highly.

As for the CNC... Same issues as above, but you can often 3d print the prototypes... (Not quite as convenient if you are milling out existing parts - but still doable)

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

chevrolux

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#2107679 14-Oct-2018 15:57

Talkiet:

chevrolux: Ok cool, so I work out how to use Fusion... and then who will print the parts? I found a site that seems to be a kind of broker for 3D printing shops all over the place.
But is there a recommendation of a shop that will do a run of say 10 of these?

Honestly? Buy a cheap 3d printer.

- Your first model will be wrong and won't fit.

- Your second model will almost fit but you thought of a better way to model it so you'll do that.

- Your 3rd model (new design)... Won't fit

- Your 4th model will fit, but your requirements will have changed and you need to mount a different sensor

- Your 5th model works.

When you own a 3d printer, this is no big deal. If you're getting someone else to make things for you, it's infuriating and you won't get it done.

I can recommend the Anycubic I3 mega very highly.

As for the CNC... Same issues as above, but you can often 3d print the prototypes... (Not quite as convenient if you are milling out existing parts - but still doable)

Cheers - N

Hmm yea good point. Well alrighty then!!.... this could be fun.

mdf

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#2107698 14-Oct-2018 17:31

A makerspace or fablab could be a good place to start to get an idea of what's possible. Most run introductory classes - I did a couple at the old Wellington MakerSpace and learnt heaps.

3D printing could be tricky, as I guess you will need the tabs to click it in? I don't think they're friction fit. To start, machining down existing blanks could be a better option. If you did go down that route, laser cutting could be another option for finer work. And you can get right angles.

frankv

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#2107901 15-Oct-2018 07:21

If you go with 3D printing, you will probably need to do some filling and sanding to get the same kind of finish that you get on PDC moulded parts.

Dunno how well this would work on light-coloured plastic, but maybe think about a laser cutter to cut openings in blank PDC parts?

Maybe 3Dprint moulds to make your own fittings from e.g. fibreglass?

3Dprint the forms and brackets and whatnot to glue into the back of the fitting?

msreef

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#2110944 19-Oct-2018 12:55

Talkiet:

chevrolux: Ok cool, so I work out how to use Fusion... and then who will print the parts? I found a site that seems to be a kind of broker for 3D printing shops all over the place.
But is there a recommendation of a shop that will do a run of say 10 of these?

Honestly? Buy a cheap 3d printer.

- Your first model will be wrong and won't fit.

- Your second model will almost fit but you thought of a better way to model it so you'll do that.

- Your 3rd model (new design)... Won't fit

- Your 4th model will fit, but your requirements will have changed and you need to mount a different sensor

- Your 5th model works.

So true.

Tinkerisk

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#2111147 19-Oct-2018 18:18

So I can forget the brand new small printer I bought last week since my son has it annected within a few hours. Ordered a 2nd printer (this time a 1h build kit) with more features for the same price today ... I fear the garage will slowly become a 3D-printer farm. :-)

chevrolux

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#2111185 19-Oct-2018 20:02

What did you buy instead?

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