Printing 3D bracket

[Romer]

I am looking at options to mount an ARB Compressor in my Tacoma engine bay

There is room with 4 potential mounting points in the drivers side of the engine bay behind the ECU

The below thread is from someone who designed and 3D Printed a bracket. Pretty cool what you can do if you have the tools, I don't have that skill set or equipment. He posted the thread and links to the files for anyone to make one

Single ARB Compressor Engine Bay Installation Using Custom Bracket (3D Print File Inside)

I designed a bracket and 3D printed it using PETG. The filament has a heat tolerance of 168º, and after testing the bracket bolted to the bay without the compressor, it got to 127º. The bracket is stout. If you are interested, the file and printing instructions are on Thingiverse...

www.tacoma4g.com

He used PETG and feels it won't have any issues with the heat. I know you can 3D print metal. Lockheed was doing spacecraft propulsion brackets with Titanium before I retired.

Thoughts on PETG vs metal for this application. @Rzeppa interested in your thoughts and what capabilities your company has.

I am still debating other options for a Twin, but the single seems simple and can be mounted in the engine bay. It won't be as fast as the Twin in my 200, but not a big deal as often as I plan to wheel the Tacoma.

@nakman could be an opening for a Gamiviti product here. Not much out there right now

 

[mikedrom]

Filaments have come a long way in the last few years. Many printers can print glass-filled ABS or carbon fiber reinforced nylon. Or, if you really want to get fancy, you could opt for CF-reinforced polypropylene. All of those would be up for the task of being subjected to the heat and vibrations of the engine bay, provided the part was designed halfway decent.

 

[Rzeppa]

Hey Ken, PetG can tolerate a higher temperature than plain old PLA and is much stronger. PETg is a waterproof material in the same family as water and soda bottles and I use it for a lot of parts that need high strength and applications. Nylon is often the go-to material I use for under-the-hood applications as it has a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and is extremely resistant to VOCs such as gasoline and oil. I have about a dozen different formulations of Polyamide copolymers (nylon was a brand name for a particular polyamide that was first introduced 1936), each with a different set of pro and cons, as with any material. ABS has a high Tg and is very strong, but doesn't resist VOC chemicals very well.

SLS metal 3D printers are seven figures and are also very expensive to operate. If you are on a government cost-plus contract who-cares?

But yeah, I can make that. Half price for Rising Sun member.

 

[Romer]

Jeff - thanks sent you a PM.

 

[Rzeppa]

Jeff - thanks sent you a PM.

I emailed you a quote.