Ever wished to see a 3D printer function underwater? The fellows over at CPSdrone and its corresponding YouTube channel definitely did, and so they cooked up a full 17-minute video breakdown of the undertaking to show it.
To make a system able to surviving underwater use, the CPSdrone males created a customized printer that seems that be primarily based on a Prusa i3. They used numerous epoxies to waterproof totally different components to stop brief circuiting and so they changed some steel components that corrode rapidly with plastic ones. Additionally they selected to maintain the show and the ability provide out of the water.
After modification, the pair examined their 3D printer in quite a lot of underwater environments, together with an aquarium and a public pool. They undertook a full week of testing earlier than taking the 3D printer to the pool.
Earlier than I embed the video under and break down among the most pertinent info gained from it, I do wish to make a disclaimer. Whereas 3D printing underwater sounds a bit foolish, there are some precise advantages incurred with doing the method underwater. Cooling followers are now not required to dissipate warmth, which may result in higher-quality prints.
This additionally is not the primary time underwater 3D printing has made its manner into the headlines, although the functions listed below are a lot totally different. Again in 2021, Kongsberg Ferrotech spoke about its growth of underwater 3D printing expertise for use for seabed pipeline repairs, not for shopper/prosumer 3D printers just like the one lined on this article.
Let’s not get sidetracked, although: how properly does this underwater 3D printing answer from CPSdrone work? The complete construct course of and breakdown is within the unique 17 minute video embedded above, however I can nonetheless wrap up right here with some fast takeaways.
The largest takeaway is that 3D printing underwater does work (although you’d have to considerably modify even one of the best 3D printers), however does not absolutely stay as much as the hype of the video thumbnail (depicting a print inside a swimming pool). Sadly, that feat is definitely exterior of the vary of what CPSdrone may obtain with this undertaking, regardless of their efforts.
Previous to the pool testing, testing in an aquarium tank labored splendidly for a whole week. Throughout pool testing, although, the engine beginning having stuttering points on account of extreme rusting, which might naturally accumulate in any underwater testing setting.
On the conclusion of the video, CPSdrone additionally talk about just a few enhancements that might make the method considerably extra sustainable. “Waterproof motors” definitely make the checklist.