It is typically a matter of subtracting out a rectangular solid for the beam itself, followed by subtracting a few cylinders to create mounting holes for fasteners. The CAD to design for these connectors is pretty simple. We’ve covered 3D-printing right angle connectors before (or in conjunction with zip-ties) but today we’re focused on 3D printing’s advantage for very precisely building arbitrary angles. Custom Doesn’t Mean HardĬombining custom with stock allows us to design projects leveraging the strengths of each part: the aluminum extrusion provides generic structure, with the 3D printed plastic linking them together in a project-specific way. There isn’t enough sales volume to justify making connectors with angles that only a few people would ever use. This is where our 3D printer re-enters the picture, as a factory for low volume niche parts. Angled connectors are in the minority, and usually limited to a few angles like 30, 45, and 60 degrees. Many popular 3D printers have frames of aluminum extrusion as they offer higher strength and superior dimension tolerances than 3D printed plastic.īut creativity is quickly stifled by connector selection, as the vast majority of connectors in the catalog are for 90-degree joints of one flavor or another. We have a general overview of them and we have seen so many projects using extrusions, like satellite trackers, Rubik’s cube solvers, and automated drone charging stations. And as an added bonus, 3D printing can make using aluminum extrusion easier and cheaper.Įverything is Built from Aluminum ExtrusionĪluminum extrusion beams are no stranger to these pages. Whether you have that option or not, aluminum extrusion beams provide the structure we need to go bigger and to do it quickly. Those of us lucky enough to have nice workshops can turn to woodworking, welding, or metal machining for larger projects. But usually a larger project also places higher structural demands ill-suited to plastic. Depending on the nature of the project, it may be possible to divide into pieces then glue them together.

Work long enough with 3D printers, and our ideas inevitably grow beyond our print volume. I have been developing a few simple tricks to make generic fasteners and printed connectors a perfect match for aluminum extrusion, via a novel twist or two on top of techniques you may already know. This becomes especially powerful when you combine 3D printing with existing materials. The real power of 3D printing is in infinite customization of parts.

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