6 Advanced FDM 3D Printing Tips When Adding Metal Parts to Your Build

[@b5a5m5]

1:30 "The roller chain sprocket is going to need to be made out of metal because of high force on the part" * Uses 3d printed plastic pegs printed onto the belt sprocket to transfer torque with a sheer force across the layer lines at a smaller radius than the sprocket *

[@kurtcrafton]

The pause feature is not limited to just stratasys software. I can very well do the same thing in Cura using the "Change at Z extension" with this extension I can add custom g-code to park the print head by layer number or using overall height allowing me to add fixed in place nuts, mesh, ect

[@jessem8928]

Any recommendations for videos on how to do this?

[@ConvSegmet]

Prusa slicer has an especially easy pause at a layer feature as well.

[@theeddies]

@@jessem8928 Search "CHEP pause at height" I would send you a link but they often don't work in comments.

[@Edgard422]

I think you can also add a firmware pause command at any step you like by editing the g code file.

[@ilyarepin7750]

I can do the same thing without cura just by opening the gcode in a gcode editor and just search the layer I want to pause at and insert a few lines of gcode to pause it.

[@x4runnergunnerx9]

I've used most of these but embedding 3D printed parts mid-print to avoid supports is a new one for me! I will have to incorporate that into a design for sure. Very helpful video!

[@monkeysfromvenus]

Printing those shelves and inserting them mid-print is some serious outside-the-box thinking. Awesome!

[@Theprofessor1212]

One suggestion, try using square nuts as opposed to hex nuts as they don’t wear out the plastic as easy as hex nuts in case of over tightening.

[@opensourceeducated2862]

Literally incredible. I'm leaving a lot of FDM sophistication on the table. The printed part within the other printed blew my mind 😳🤯

[@kailuasurfing]

My thoughts exactly

[@sqeaky8190]

Me too. I would probably want to to print the inserts first so that they could be check and failures isolated, but a ton things could be printed at mismatched orientation like this for a bunch of reasons.

[@dealerofdeeth6043]

5:00 sir, you might want to see a chiropractor for your back. heavy, repeated lifting, such as that massive cranium, may strain it.

[@Sembazuru]

All of these techniques are also applicable in the hobby space of 3D printing. I can probably do almost all of these techniques on my Prusa MK3S using PrisaSlicer, though I'm limited on the type of thermoplastics that I can use on my open frame printer since I don't have an enclosure to put around it. The technique of embedding other 3D printed parts is probably the only one that I hadn't thought of before. Thanx for introducing me to that idea.

[@nayvinyami]

Incredible insight, blew my mind away when you flipped the baffles on the build plate to assemble later mid-print.

[@SrikarMaddula]

I've had an entire course on additive manufacturing last semester and such examples were barely covered if any. This legit gave me quite a few ideas on solving a problem on a current project. Why they don't talk about it in college is beyond me.

[@seanw1550]

This is fantastic. It exemplifies an entirely new way to optimize 3D printing with FDM. I’ve done this technique with magnets and nuts but this video opens my eyes to much bigger possibilities. It also generates a lot of discussion below that is also very helpful. A bunch of us have already been doing this a little bit, here and there, but this video opened up the discussion. Really valuable.

[@Trimech]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NicholasRehm]

Are you modifying g-code pause at a selected layer or doing it manually? Are there any tools available that do this?

[@Perry_Wolf]

Strangely, my biggest take-away from this is the non-metal, large overhang part you printed there. Had never thought of that. Other than that, I've used the "Pause at Height" post processing script with Cura and have imbedded weights in fidget spinners, magnets in a cup bottom so it's secure on metal surfaces , and a bunch of other things.

[@OhNaYouDidnt]

Really interesting applications for various inserts. One thing I would add is if you have an issue with the hexagonal nuts spinning inside their holes and wearing the surrounding plastic, try square nuts instead, the corners have more area within the plane to move through compared to hexagonal nuts.

[@spusuf]

This is genuinely so insightful and useful for printing on any machine. I knew you could pause at layer in cura but didn't know it was this useful

[@KHFilms]

This made me seriously rethink of the capabilities of my fdm printer. The embedded nut or magnet is a true classic but the rest of these I've never even considered. Really informative and well made video, I hope to see more like it soon!

[@johnathanclayton2887]

Those are some great ideas! I love it! I'm sure your Inight software makes it very easy to accomplish. But you can do these things in common 3D printing slicers as well. Cura and Prusha slicers allow for pausing after a certain layer to insert components.

[@jessem8928]

By just adding G code at a specific Z hieght?

[@pirncho]

@@jessem8928 Just add a filament color change at the desired layer and when it pauses and waits for you to change the filament, place the new component and dont change the filament.

[@cazdghost]

@@jessem8928 I am using Prusa Slicer. you can add pause inside the slicer itself. at the Sliced preview. there is a + Icon at the timeline where in you can add pause, color change or specific custom gcodes.

[@PAXthe4Th]

I have a good reason to leave makerbot behind now

[@iamlookto]

Nice techniques that you can basically use with every fdm printer and slicer on the market! Will definitely need to use these more often.

[@Vibycko]

The part where you take the already printed part and insert it into the piece is just amazing, and quite interesting technique.

[@JoeStoffa]

These are excellent examples, thank you for producing/sharing this. My favorite reinforcement are stainless steel screws. In addition to what you would expect (a steel rod significantly increases resistance to deflection/shearing) they are also quite good at moving a force on the shaft to the head. I've had a few pieces that wouldn't work because a sideways load (impact) would delaminate the z-layer easily (even with PCTG and isotropic polymers), but a screw head transformed this into a bending mode on an x-y layer, and all was fine.

[@Trimech]

Most welcome. Glad you found this useful!

[@martinbrodecki6860]

Greate video! I especially like the idea of combinding plastic parts mid printing. I dont know if you mentioned it but personaly I like to preheat any metal parts to bed temperature before inserting them, just to avoid the risk of warping or layer seperation.

[@desparky]

I've embedded magnets and nuts into builds, but hadn't considered the other tips. Thanks for sharing.

[@ozespresso]

Well done! I know some of these methods but the carbon fiber and the way to avoid support are very impressive!

[@ConvSegmet]

This is an very useful video. Great ideas for all sorts of inserts. Humble suggestion, when inserting nuts i found it worth buying an inexpensive square nut assortment in place of hex nuts. The longer edges are less prone to deforming the plastic and spinning if you get a stuck part.

[@smoerebroetxd]

I'm flabbergasted how these techniques blew my mind... I don't know how I never thought of stoping a print midway through. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@EeliyaRasta]

I learned more about how to design and print my parts in this 6 min ish video than my 3 years of experience in 3d printing😅 Thank you!

[@_the_Chad_]

Some excellent ideas I want to try! Two things to note are that McMaster has a huge amount of Cad models available for downloading and that super glue on the metal piece can help with the first layer adhesion.

[@beauslim]

Great stuff! Sharing tips that everyone can use (but easier with your product) is a great way to do marketing. Like others have said, the 3d printed part inside the 3d printed part is one of those ingenious "Why didn't I think of that?" ideas. Another thing you can insert: electronic components and wires.

[@Jakielopez]

Really interesting to see different way to use FDM printers. I never thought to stop the print and assemble the part to eliminate the need for supports. I'll definitely be trying to implement these ideas in future projects.

[@dirtdart81]

How does this have zero comments? These were ingenious techniques for making your prints more useful. Can't wait to give some of them a try!

[@auxchar]

I've done this before with hex nuts and bushings, but I hadn't considered applying it to 3D printing parts to avoid support material. That's a very interesting technique, very mutch appreciate it!

[@SirSpence99]

It is worth noting that superslicer (free) has the built in option to, at any layer add in a pause command. (Or any arbitrary GCode for that matter.) So you should be able to do this on *any* printer that doesn't lock down what slicer you can use.

[@syber-space]

Definitely neat techniques, though they certainly don't require any specific software or hardware. This can be done on any machine with some careful pre-processing and planning. PrusaSlicer's and Cura's modifier meshes can help out a lot here too, and both are completely free!

[@heavydamage8799]

This was really useful. I'm working on a unusual water pump, the chain and nut insert techniques were really really useful. Thanks

[@Chimney_Swift]

4:24 that's actually brilliant, I'll have to remember that for the next time I can't just design around this issue

[@danfarrik]

OMG so clever printing the overhang price separately and inserting it mid-print. I have done this with metal before, but I didn’t think about doing it to avoid supports and reduce waste.

[@williamfrance-]

Can’t believe I’ve never thought to simply pause the print when incorporating other materials like metal inserts into my projects. Thanks for the great video!

[@nahuelelkpo23]

I've thought of this before, but the 3d printed part as an insert and the carbor fiber rods blew my mind. Specially tge 3d printed insert, genius.

[@plymouthrovadventures.646]

Do we need to heat the Metal parts before inserting them into the 3D part ?? Thanks... This is a whole new world you have created for me.. Thank YOU.

[@RonnyHanssen]

Wow. This was so enlightening. Great tips. So obvious, when seeing it demonstrated. Thanks for sharing.

[@new1ru]

A very refreshing view on subjects we all struggle with!

[@seankelleher4976]

Assembling mid print to cut down on support material is absolutely genius 👍

[@kaedkay2472]

Fantastic video. I genuinely hadnt thought of using previously-printed parts to embed into a larger assembly. Fantastic tips.

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Next level tips, great way to look at 3d printing.

[@tbren6707]

Really awesome video! I've used the idea of pausing and inserting different hardware to my prints, but you showed some amazing yet simple concepts. Definitely a reminder to me to "think outside the filament" and incorporate other pieces to make my designs better. Thanks!

[@tazanteflight8670]

This video has a truly incredible number, and quality of ideas, and inspiration.

[@rixochixo]

BRO also the last build with the carbon fiber insert is genius!

[@robertgcode965]

3:58 WOW! I could've not thought of that myself. This will definitely be useful in my future projects.

[@mikoaj2323]

Thank you very much for this video, I've always putted hex nuts instead of those inserts, but tip with printing few parts, then putting one on another and continuing printing is weirdly something i did not think about. This shows whole new level of 3d printing

[@alangregg7171]

phenomenal! I've done some basic things like adding nuts, but this is of a whole different level.

[@connorlynch4252]

Great ideas. I’ve done captured nuts before by adding a pause into the gcode with M25, seems like that would suffice for all the other examples as well.

[@dzejkej0]

And here I was, thinking I mastered mid-print weights and magnets… You got me a with this captured sprocket, but then actually blow my mind with this printed halfs, that assembled mid-print. Genius! 2 questions though : 1. Is the layer on top of the sprocket just overhanging? Or does it stick to the metal? If so, what is the filament and how you made it stick to the metal? In my experience I leave a little gap, so that the layer on top of weight is a bridge or overhang, because when trying to print directly on metal part, it doesn’t stick at all and curls like crazy. 2. How on earth did you manage to continue print on top off assembled part? Coming from regular slicer software, so I guess this is some Insight software magic, right? Can’t be simple manual gcode editing, right?

[@DJWhitelow]

Seen magnets & nuts etc been inserted in this way before but this is next level, really cool stuff!

[@alexon2010]

sensational video, best video I've seen about the use of 3D printing... and it's not a little video I watch, I'm manufacturing a CNC Router, quick to assemble and disassemble and even for industrial use, I'm a Systems developer and Graphic Designer and of Product

[@AerialWaviator]

Great examples of FDM 3d printed composite part builds.

[@robinhoed5729]

love the idea of support less 3D printing when ever I get a difficult part I print it in pieces and glue it to getter when it is don this is a way better solution very creative thx

[@andreipirlea3102]

This is nuts!! FDM at its finest. Good job

[@dannyvannierop805]

Wow.......with the right mindset and thinking outside the box the sky is the limit..... One question because I am fairly new with this........how do you pause a print mid print? Do you simply add a G-code command after a specific layer?

[@jonmayer]

Nice techniques. I've been thinking of doing this with the nuts before, just never got around to trying it.

[@Evinosx]

I've thought about doing this but haven't got around to trying it yet. Thanks for the ideas.

[@EnnTomi1]

awesome video. i always had similar ideas. but the lacking feature in existing slicing/printing software kinda deterred me from even trying. this is truly work smarter not harder.

[@EdydeLeon]

Randomly came across this video in my home page. Very interesting ideas! Thanks!

[@antronk]

Great video and very insightful for us hobbyists to see how these elements are integrated into industrial prototyping. Thanks for sharing! :) Just one question: when you integrate these parts and are printing with shrink-prone materials in an enclosed chamber, how do you deal with having to open the chamber? You just try to be brief or is there a mechanism (air curtain or something) to help minimise disturbance and preserve the internal ambient temps? One more :P - Why are all parts printed with a brim? Is that standard practice? On some of the parts the brim is white. Is there a material change? and if so, what is it? Sorry for the number of questions. I am truly curious :) Thanks in advance!

[@glennleader8880]

There were some cleaver techniques employed here. Thank you for sharing them.

[@mr.slappy6944]

Deam, this is brilliant! I just made a part with cutouts to insert hex nuts (using supports), but this makes more sense.

[@weisnowhere]

These techniques are great! Can't even pick a favorite!

[@Flapdr01]

If the torque is high enough to require a metal sprocket this part is going to fail instantly on the small plastic studs in the middle. Use some metal studs at least...

[@JamesFraley]

That pause technique is cool!

[@Festivejelly]

The e3d tool changer is ideal for this. Basically you have a pick and place tool to drop in the nuts... no manual intervention needed.

[@DOCTOROCTAGONAPUSS]

I have a question: Do you have any layer adhesion issues when inserting cold parts and printing over them? Great video by the way. Really opened my eyes to alot of potential in future builds.

[@mrg1824]

Great question, I was thinking the same

[@TheInfernox7]

layer adhesion is not dependent on the temperature of the surface below

[@dpoarch]

@@TheInfernox7 its not independent either. as the layer beneath cools you will get worse adhesion.

[@vaughnmonkey]

@@dpoarch I think that they mean more so they aren't expecting the layer on top of the metal to adhere to the metal. And if you have an enclosure on your printer leaving the metal parts inside the enclosure until its time to put them into the print could probably minimize any issues.

[@sirpietruch]

Hmm, perhaps you can add in the gcode to print the first layer after the pause at a slightly higher temp?

[@B4I34]

Great tips! Not all new to me, but especially the insertion of printed geometry is interesting and I have to consider this some more in my designs.

[@robduquette1736]

These are some really awesome techniques! I knew about the hex nuts as threaded inserts, but the other tricks blew my mind!

[@super_slo]

This is an advertisement for fortiss(sp?) and stratysis(sp?)? Neat stuff, but all of the pause at layer stuff is pretty easy to pull off with cura or superslicer... That multi-level baffle thing was pretty smart though, I have to admit. Any feedback on how well the sprocket with double pulleys actually performed? That was an awfully small cross sectional area through layer lines for any significant load, but again - super clever.

[@fozbstudios]

How exactly are the shelves secured? Great video!

[@drfailbucket]

Damn... Learnd more in these ~7 minutes then in 2 years of KZbining how to solve some problems 😂 amazing job and thanks ALOT for these enormous tips 👏👌

[@bubbasplants189]

Great video thanks for sharing. I like the idea of splitting the part and stacking components mid print!

[@cmyip11]

Great idea, 3d printing can print something not only by one single material but also 2 different material at the same time. For example printing a beam with one side hard and one side soft.

[@sergeybor374]

Can you explain Pls How you are doing it by soft? What soft are you use? How you stop printing on correct layer? How you continue from next layer? Do you change any setting in slicer to have an adhesion on cold metal. And other similar Questions.) i Thank you in advance

[@maximillian848]

What material is he using for those massive rafts on almost every print?

[@papercrowe8772]

Wow these are some great techniques, I will definitely be trying to use these in some of my coming projects!

[@kibbycabbit]

Great idea! You just help us to think of possibilities that we haven't thought of in past. Thank you!

[@user-il8gt2ev9d]

4:00 Mind blown, never thought about that as an option. Much better than splitting the model to reduce support

[@rixochixo]

Great video, thank you! would you mind making a simple tutorial detailing how you get the print to stop mid build then continue without affecting the print.

[@FranzzInLove]

How are the carbon fiber rods helpful if they aren't mechanically coupled to the plastic? If they can move around freely inside the chamber, they can't help traction resistance.

[@rolandblok]

Thank you for the ideas. How do you deal with (not) sticking to the metal you insert? Can you heat it somehow?

[@SpinStar1956]

All of this is really cool and I have (at times) need for this. How are you doing the pauses/resumes and getting the correct resume-heights? I have a CR10-S Pro and use CURA. The printer has a pause function but you cannot control the exact moment or placement. Can I pause in CURA?

[@Tom-xn9kx]

What is the white raft under each of your prints?

[@alpashek]

Verry interesting techniques, Can you Please explain how it's done? Which softwares can do it? Can prusaSlicer do it? What is the name of this technique especially the one you referred as mid builds? Thanks

[@ericvenneker]

Very smart ideas! I will keep this vid saved for future reference. Thanks 👍

[@hjoore]

Genius! Awesome inspiration for designing FDM parts.

[@facenameple4604]

This is a mind-blow for me. Absolutely amazing.

[@vincenzogallo8879]

what is the that white material between printing bed and printed part?

[@johnvodopija]

Thank you for sharing these very useful examples. I just need to configure my printer to pause correctly and I’ll be up and running. Cheers 👍😎🇦🇺

[@WeiderMystic]

Do you need to spray any adhesive or other interstitial on the metal surface to facilitate the next printed layer adhering to the surface? I assume you also have to remove the support areas in Insight for each of the layers in which you don't need it.

[@rasg3000]

This was truly eye opener for me. Great video!

[@ThereIsNoRoot]

This is phenomenal! Pausing a print, inserting metal parts, and then continuing the print is absolutely brilliant. How am I the first comment?

[@SantaDragon]

Thanks. Great video. I will start with implementing these ideas to my upcoming creations for improving the stiffness.

[@mists_of_time]

These are very valuable tips, thank you. I will totally try doing this with my 3d printer.

[@Yari117]

The idea of embdding nuts mid print is awesome! The only drawback is that you have to watch the print and pause it at the right moment. Is there any way of automatically pausing the printer by a g-code command?

[@sorenac]

Great vid :) Opens up for a new variaty of possibilities with FDM printing :D Thanx for the tips :)