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3D Printed pegs into machined aluminum sheet

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    3D Printed pegs into machined aluminum sheet

    Hello,

    I am designing a simple sheet of aluminum that has multiple holes 0.5’’ deep in CATIA. After it is machined, the goal is to insert pegs of diameter 1/8’’ in these holes, and I don’t want it to wiggle around very much.
    Here is where the 3D printing part comes in. I'd like to 3D print the pegs that will be inserted into these holes. Is it possible to do this? Or will the pegs have a hard time fitting into these holes because its plastic vs. steel? Are there any implications to this that I should be considering? I know tolerance can only come from trial and error..


    I am new to 3D printing and machining so any information you'd like to share can go a long way.
    Thank you!

    #2
    Without knowing the application it's hard to comment, I would say that holes and shafts are a common mechanical engineering task and there are standardised clearances and tolerances that can be referenced (someone has done the trial and error for you). Here's 2 links I just Googled for you: http://www.amesweb.info/FitTolerance/FitTolerance.aspx
    http://www.cobanengineering.com/Tole...itsAndFits.asp
    Using a 3D printed 'soft' material as a peg isn't ideal, so I would stay away from interference fits and stick with clearance and potentially transitional fits. Cool the pegs in a freezer to aid installation with transitional fits (they will get smaller), normally you can heat the hole side also, but dependent on your peg material it could result in thermal distortion.
    If you're adamant on 3D printing pegs (I assume you have a good reason) I would note that 3D printed parts currently have a low layer strength on the Z axis using most common technology (FDM/FFF). This is a problem as they will tend to fail in shear or bending quite easily compared to a more homogeneous product (like an extruded rod). As an aside I find it interesting you're using an enterprise level product like CATIA, any reason for this?
    I would note that if this is for machining and the pegs are a standard shape, machined pins are available for this application and should be very affordable.
    Any questions feel free to ask, and best of luck with your project. I think you'll find that 3D printing and machining are very exciting areas, you can literally make almost anything!

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