On 2015-07-27 18:51, Vincent Slyngstad wrote:
From: Noel Chiappa: Monday, July 27, 2015 8:58 AM
Time to find someone who can do injection molding... (I don't think
these
could be 3D printed, the necks of the bulb-heads are under a lot of
stress
when removing panels, they often snap off; will 3D printed parts be
that
strong?)
They are actually pretty straight-forward to cast, especially if you
don't need the metal nut in the middle. I've made molds with RTV,
then cast parts out of 2 part resin. The molds do wear out, where you
pull the bulb-heads through.
I've also had them 3D printed successfully, and if you're careful
about the print direction, the bulb-heads are sufficiently strong in
ABS. (I haven't tried it in PLA. Sintered nylon would also probably
work, but would be expensive.)
From: quapla: Monday, July 27, 2015 9:14 AM
Maybe a future possibility to have a (maybe Chinese) manufacturer make
a batch of 1000, 2000 or maybe 10000 clips with a type of plastic
which
is slightly more flexible so that they do not break off to quickly?
I like that they almost always break before the panel itself does, so
don't make them too strong. I actually damaged a panel once by
replacing the bulb-head with a screw (head). (Maybe should have used
a nylon screw.)
Also, there are several flavors. You can see a few toward the bottom
of:
http://www.so-much-stuff.com/pdp8/cad/3d.php
though I don't have that exact flavor with the nut in the center.
That makes ordering 10000 a challenge, since what's actually needed is
probably a mix of the various flavors.
Vince
Hmm, I have 3 versions, the ones with the nut, the ones without the nut
and the one with the clamps which goes into the cabinet holes.
I guess the ones without the nut and without the rack clamps may be the
preferred ones, as there are always ways to bolt the panel clips to the
rack posts.
@Al Kossow
Yes, straight pins would be better so less break off chances.
@John Wilson
Yes, local production is always better, but to keep it affordable
for a group of private individuals, costs is usually more important.
Regarding the base material, would ABS plastic the best solution?
(Like the Lego bricks)?
I did find a place in Belgium, who has their production facility in
China. They offer up to 70% price reduction so it sounds interesting.
(http://www.kunststof-spuitgieten.be, alas only in Dutch).
@Vince
Can you make a '.stp' or '.igs' file of the bracket as shown
in the image 'bracket-screws.jpg' but with straight poles rather
than the 'ball on a stick' version?
I need one of these formats to ask them for a price offer based on the
1000 / 2000 / 10000 batch size.
Ed
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