For those who’re creating prototypes or end-use components, NylonX is a superb materials to work with. Take a look at how we put collectively a skateboard with 3D printed components.
Up to date on December 27, 2023
by
Alec Richter
Whether or not it is paddle boarding or skating, our Inventive Lead loves a board below his toes. Not removed from our workplace is a skatepark and if you cannot discover Dylan on the workplace, odds are that he is there. Reasonably than use a traditional skateboard, he needed one thing lighter and with extra aptitude, so he printed Daniel Noree’s skateboard vans and bushings utilizing NylonX and PRO Collection Flex.
Why NylonX?
Getting down to print skateboard vans signifies that the fabric necessities are very particular; must survive sitting in a automotive on a scorching California day, wants to carry collectively below the load of an individual and the forces from skating, and must be gentle. NylonX suits this profile completely: the nylon base will maintain its form properly previous the temperatures in a automotive, the chopped carbon fiber strands all through the filament carry energy and rigidity, and being a polymer makes this a robust however gentle materials. For those who have been to try this with another plastic like PLA or ABS, it might deform from both warmth or weight, making NylonX the optimum selection.
What Printer Can Deal with NylonX?
After some vital modifications, most printers can print utilizing NylonX. You could have to swap out some components, create new materials profiles, optimize settings, are check till you may create robust components reliably. The better choice is the Pulse XE: a printer designed and tailor-made to print NylonX out-of-the-box with out modification and the perfect components to make sure success. The Olsson Ruby nozzle has an precise ruby in it, sufficient to deal with the extremely abrasive carbon fibers strands in NylonX, together with a garolite print floor for supreme adhesion and a Bondtech QR extruder for max torque and management over extrusion.
The Olsson Ruby solves the issue of abrasiveness, however what about mattress adhesion? Nylon is notoriously warpy (though not as unhealthy as ABS), so mattress adhesion is extraordinarily necessary to maintain the right form and dimensions as soon as your modeled half is printed. Garolite solves that downside; a interwoven glass fiber material impregnated with epoxy resin, making a construct plate simply textured sufficient to grip onto your nylon or NylonX print. And once you pair garolite with the Flexplate system, you could be completely sure that your half will stick and launch with ease.
The Pulse XE does a wonderful job at printing NylonX with its particularly chosen elements
Creating the Skateboard Vehicles
As soon as the fabric and printer have been decided, it was time to get to printing. Earlier than printing out the components in NylonX, a prototype was made in PLA to check meeting and see whether or not the usual truck {hardware} like bushings and bolts would match. It seems they have been just a little too unfastened, so the truck base was adjusted and new bushes have been printed with MatterHackers PRO Collection Flex. These match a lot better and held the vans straight with simply the correct give. As soon as it handed the check and match collectively, he printed the 2 NylonX components out on the Pulse XE, with the essential settings consisting of: extruder temperature of 255C, layer cooling fan off, 70C on the mattress, and 50mm/s. If you would like a extra in depth information and dialogue of the optimum settings when printing with NylonX, you may learn extra in our The best way to Succeed When Printing with NylonX.
With the components printed, threaded rods minimize to size, and the vans totally bolted collectively it was time to check out his artistic new board on the park.
NylonX and the Pulse XE have been the proper mixture of fabric and machine to deal with what Dylan wanted. We’re at present on v3 of our NylonX skateboard vans with extra iterations to return.
To learn concerning the particular settings, suggestions, and finest practices when printing with NylonX, learn extra in our article all about Succeeding with NylonX.
