Need materials advice

[Jsjr88]

Hi guys, brand new to the forum, very enthusiastic to join the community. I know exactly what i need printed, orthotic shoe inserts, but before i invest in my first printer i was hoping some of you could weigh in what you would believe to be the most appropriate material to use. I need it to be strong but with some flex, resist warping, and be ok getting a daily beat down by the bottom of somebodies stinky, sweaty foot. Most of my research has been focused around makerbots offerings and ny humble opinion would lead me towards a PLA filament but am concerned potentially about the brittleness and susceptibility to humidity. Pulling from your experience and knowledge would anyone please share their opinion on print material and\or suitable printer options? Any and all steering is appreciated.

thanks!

[jimc]

Pla will never work. It has no flex at all. Its hard and brittle. You need one of the flexible filaments like ecoflex or ninjaflex. Both are like a harder rubber material similar to the soles of a shoe or a car tire.

[Davo]

RTV Silicone center with a top layer of NinjaFlex or PlastInk Rubber to help with longevity.

[RobH2]

Most RepRap printers print with PLA and ABS. Both are very rigid and not really a good material for shoe inserts. They'd however be good for printing a part that you could use to make a mold and then cast it in some variety of silicone or other flexible rubber. Some people are experimenting with printing Nylon on RepRap. I've ordered some Nylon and am going to do tests next week. Nylon is more flexible that either ABS or PLA and not brittle. However, it's still pretty stiff and, like the others, and even if they would survive being walked on for miles, they would change the flexibility of the shoe itself. A stiff shoe would be uncomfortable no matter how well the insert worked.

3D printing is not the be-all-end-all of product design and fabrication. For some items, like a phone case or a knob, it might be. I think the power of 3D printers is that it will become an integral part in a larger process, a component of the workflow, the first step of the process....I think you see where I'm going with this. I'm not talking about corporate level work here. I'm talking about home hobbyists and small shops.

You could test the shape and form of your inserts easily with the 3d printer and then when you have it all worked out, you make a mold and start casting them. It will be much faster and the surface quality will be smooth and perfect. 3D printing and casting are the perfect partners.

Something that might be fun and informational is a show called "Face Off" on the SyFi Channel. I'm not sure if you are in the USA or not but if you are, the show is full of fabrication and casting. They use different foams and compounds to make all the crazy appliances they use in the makeup they create. Some people don't like reality shows but I record it and put it on in the background while I'm working and I've learned a lot about casting and fabrication from the show, and, in an interesting way.

So, don't think of your 3d printer as the beginning and end of the story. Think of it as a tool in your toolkit which will help you get to the final destination.

[awerby]

The best machine for doing this would be an Objet, which can print in a range of durometers, in a single print run. So one part can contain rigid "bones" and soft "flesh" - it's pretty amazing what these machines can do. The downside is that they are much more expensive than the typical "glue gun on steroids" type of printer that most people here use. If you can't afford to purchase one of these machines, then you might consider sending your insert models to a service bureau that runs one.

I've heard about rubbery filaments that can be used in the low-end consumer-oriented machines, but haven't seen or felt the results yet.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[RobH2]

I just learned of something I did not know existed. It might work for you. It's called Flex EcoPLA. Here is a link: http://www.makergeeks.com/flecbl3.html

It's a flexible PLA filament.

[RobH2]

Here is an article I just read. This might be right up your alley.

http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/0...ilament-shoes/

Rob

[jasonelve]

You'll need one of the versatile filaments like ecoflex or ninjaflex. Both are like a more complicated rubberized content just like the bottoms of a shoes or a car wheel.

For best professional website design services for only $1/ month. Feel free to visit us or

Call at toll free: 1-800-929-6163 and place your order now.

Address: 207 Mineola Ave., Suite 515 Roslyn Heights, New York 11577

Questions regarding sales: sales@mapitinc.com

After sale support: support@mapitinc.com

[Geoff]

You'll need one of the versatile filaments like ecoflex or ninjaflex. Both are like a more complicated rubberized content just like the bottoms of a shoes or a car wheel.

For best professional website design services for only $1/ month. Feel free to visit us or

Call at toll free: 1-800-929-6163 and place your order now.

Address: 207 Mineola Ave., Suite 515 Roslyn Heights, New York 11577

Questions regarding sales: sales@mapitinc.com

After sale support: support@mapitinc.com

Bit much with the advertising there Jason...

If you want Strong flex, I would recommend this stuff:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151343750...84.m1497.l2649

Unlike ninjaflex, which while probably the best stuff, it is not as rigid as this. Torwell are a great company with fast delivery (hong kong to my front door in 4 days. Ordered it on Friday afternoon, got it Tuesday.)

I am currently testing this with a printed quadcopter and I have crashed head first into a tree at god knows what speed (I killed the GPS logger in the crash... :/) but the quad itself completely in tact. This stuff is rigid enough that it doesnt flex unless you really want it to.