3D printers useful for automotive hobbyist?

[Kurtatron]

I watched a video of a guy talking about the merits of owning a 3D printer for car work specifically.

He printed a gauge cluster, trim components, and an intake manifold(!). It really made me think these could be wonderful for replacing bigger old plastic parts.

He also mentioned that 3D printers have gotten leaps and bounds better over the last 10 years. They apparently aren’t as difficult to hone in as they used to be. The one he referred to was the Bambu.

I might consider getting one.

 

[ctechbob]

Yes and no.

3D Printers are very much garbage in garbage out. If you are a CAD master and have no problem sitting down and drawing up exactly what you want, you can get fantastic results. If you have a part you need that breaks on every single car like yours and someone has already done the hard work, you can have fantastic results.

One of the problems will be materials.

PLA doesn't hold up to heat very well, but it is cheap and is what most people use for a lot of things.

TPU holds up to heat better, but is more of a stiff rubber.

ABS and Nylon are what you'll be looking at for real 'production quality' parts. Problem is, they can be a complete nightmare to print and you have to be willing to play by the rules with them and possibly purchase other accessories such as drying boxes and the like. Doesn't matter what machine you use, some of the newer machines with newer features can make certain things easier, but some materials are just way harder to deal with than others.

I'm not going to duplicate it here and it is more geared towards RV's and not cars, but I have a writeup over on the BITOG sister site that I did a while back:

https://rvthe.us/community/threads/3d-printing-and-your-rv.510/

I'd love to have a new Bambu, but I'll be sticking with my old, slow, reliable Ender 3. Just can't spend that coin on something new when mine gets the job done, but if I were buying new, I'd certainly go with one.

 

[JimPghPA]

PETG print filament makes parts that are better suited for car summer temperatures. And it's almost as easy to print as PLA. A textured print board is probably better to use with it because it can stick to some smooth boards too well. It's a little weaker than PLA and requires hotter temperatures, but even the low cost 3D printers usually can go that high. The finished part is a little bit weaker than it would be if made with PLA at room temperatures. But if it has to see temperatures like the inside of a car in the summer, it's a better choice.

TPU comes in different hardness, and it has to be kept very dry. It will absorb water out of air so you have to dry it. If it has too much moisture it will not print well.

Nylon and ABS require better machines than cheap low end machines and throw off fumes.

 

[shortyb]

Have a former co-worker that does 3D printing of action figures as a side hustle (non-copyrighted), and currently he uses a liquid printer. Amazing results and the finished product requires almost no sanding or filling, perfectly smooth. I have seen printed parts for vintage cars where there are no new pieces available and they look great. Obviously, as @ctechbob said, it all depends on a lot of factors and the level of quality the finished product has to be. Car and Driver or Motor Trend did an article some time back of a father/son Canadian design and manufacturing company that made all of the really complex shaped pieces from 3D printers using sintered metal materials. It was mind blowing.

 

[cptbarkey]

My son is getting one for Christmas, his first project is a custom 5.25 drive bay for a small LCD screen that will show temps. I might commission him for some auto stuff, we'll see.

 

[Ride_Red]

3D printers are fun. I have a Bambu X1C and can print some of the more "engineering grade" materials with it. The print quality and ease of use of the Bambu is head and shoulders above the Ender 3 printer it replaced. It can be a nice tool to print replacement parts if you have the design. Making the design requires some skill and patience with the CAD design.

I have a 3D printed seat bracket on my motorcycle made from PETG that's been working great for three riding seasons. I also print small mechanical parts for electrical switch plates and alignment jigs and clamps. I have played with Nylon and Carbon Fiber Nylon and depending on the brand, it can yield excellent parts. Read reviews of the material as some brands of filament are not worth the effort. People on YouTube are printing gaskets for small engines using flexible TPU with success. I've used TPU for drive wheels and timing belts for small motorized projects.

I've printed PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, and Nylon. All printed well on the X1C. Carbon Fiber versions of these materials will require a little more heat and a hardened nozzle with a larger diameter tip. I haven't tried to print ASA yet, which would be a better material suited for an interior of a vehicle than ABS or PETG.

 

[D60]

I think much like a welder or lathe, once you have one you never wanna go back.

 

[oil pan 4]

If you can peont gun stuff then you can definitely print car stuff.