Researchers from Canada’s Western University have developed a new open-source approach for 3D printing water pipe fittings. According to the London, Ontario-based team, around 126 billion cubic meter
Could be promising as long as the print is water tight.
I think they are not talking about access to parts but more so custom sizes?
Parametric driven is just a fancy word for using easily adjustable dimensions and linking them together.
Local on demand 3D printing would mean in close proximity whenever you need it. I think the local part is trivial but alright.
Customized means specific for the application.
In my house for example there’s an old central heating pipe that is out of standard so connecting any modern standard pipe or appliance to it is impossible. With a weird workaround it works but still leaks. This method of 3D printing a custom connector would solve it. Not sure what other use there is really.
I don’t disagree with the need for local, on-demand production for some oddball parts in some cases, but I do think that 3d printing is the wrong technology for it in this case
This seems like a perfect use for some sort of CNC lathe to me. Pipes are cylinders, and lathes are pretty much the perfect tool to create cylindrical objects. Chuck a piece of metal (or whatever material you need to make the part out of), turn it down to the correct inner and outer diameters, cut the right threads on either end, and you’re good to go. Need to be able to pet a wrench on it? Start with hex stock.
I’d have a lot more confidence that a part isn’t going to start leaking if it’s carved out of a solid piece of material than if it’s made out of many layers of material deposited on top of each other.
The only thing a lathe would struggle with is things like elbows and tees, but with a little know-how you can get around that by just making adapters to more readily available standard elbows and such, using flexible tubing, tube benders, etc.
The idea of 3d printing these parts really feels like a “when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail” situation.
CNC/lathe work is harder since it requires specialised machines which are a magnitude more expensive than a 3D printer. The method developed allows for low cost fixes to reduce the water leakage globally. Albeit maybe less reliable or permanent.
and that is why standard sizes exist. The solution then, is to get every one on standardized sizing so the parts work.
The problems are that now somebody needs to have and maintain a printer. (I presume FDM, but resin or something would be more useful.) even then, the production is limited, and you’re still having to source filament or whatever, as well as the parts necessary to maintain it. These parts are all more complicated than PVC pipe fittings are. (and depending on where we’re talking, may not even be available for a variety of reasons.)
and when the part fails (as all things eventually do,) you’re going to be right back where you started. You might be able to get another custom part printed. if the guy happens to still be around and availible.
Granted, the people running the study or setting up the open source fittings probably don’t have the money to encourage people to replace their plumbing, but that’s the solution that won’t see us right back at the problem in a few years. or less.
There are recognized standards for piping and plumbing around the world. Which one do you use?
The issue is the longevity of the stuff. It lasts for decades and even generations. And over that time period we change the standards as new ideas and materials come into play. As a home owner, I have had to adapt new standards to nearly 100 year old standards. I’ve owned houses that had clay, cast iron, copper, galvanized steel, and pex randomly shotgunned into the house as every previous owner had done changes over time.
It would be nice it all piping and plumbing as identical around the world, but it ain’t gonna happen, (and don’t at me with the “metric would solve all that.” Are you talking DIN or JIT or even what ever BS the Chinese are doing today).
I agree wholeheartedly. But replacing all of the piping will be very expensive. I think this is more geared towards the people who don’t have the kind of money or expertise or both to replace their entire plumbing and this will help mitigate those issues by being able to connect weird sizes together. That’s at least what I got from scanning the article.
I think they are not talking about access to parts but more so custom sizes? Parametric driven is just a fancy word for using easily adjustable dimensions and linking them together. Local on demand 3D printing would mean in close proximity whenever you need it. I think the local part is trivial but alright. Customized means specific for the application.
In my house for example there’s an old central heating pipe that is out of standard so connecting any modern standard pipe or appliance to it is impossible. With a weird workaround it works but still leaks. This method of 3D printing a custom connector would solve it. Not sure what other use there is really.
I don’t disagree with the need for local, on-demand production for some oddball parts in some cases, but I do think that 3d printing is the wrong technology for it in this case
This seems like a perfect use for some sort of CNC lathe to me. Pipes are cylinders, and lathes are pretty much the perfect tool to create cylindrical objects. Chuck a piece of metal (or whatever material you need to make the part out of), turn it down to the correct inner and outer diameters, cut the right threads on either end, and you’re good to go. Need to be able to pet a wrench on it? Start with hex stock.
I’d have a lot more confidence that a part isn’t going to start leaking if it’s carved out of a solid piece of material than if it’s made out of many layers of material deposited on top of each other.
The only thing a lathe would struggle with is things like elbows and tees, but with a little know-how you can get around that by just making adapters to more readily available standard elbows and such, using flexible tubing, tube benders, etc.
The idea of 3d printing these parts really feels like a “when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail” situation.
CNC/lathe work is harder since it requires specialised machines which are a magnitude more expensive than a 3D printer. The method developed allows for low cost fixes to reduce the water leakage globally. Albeit maybe less reliable or permanent.
and that is why standard sizes exist. The solution then, is to get every one on standardized sizing so the parts work.
The problems are that now somebody needs to have and maintain a printer. (I presume FDM, but resin or something would be more useful.) even then, the production is limited, and you’re still having to source filament or whatever, as well as the parts necessary to maintain it. These parts are all more complicated than PVC pipe fittings are. (and depending on where we’re talking, may not even be available for a variety of reasons.)
and when the part fails (as all things eventually do,) you’re going to be right back where you started. You might be able to get another custom part printed. if the guy happens to still be around and availible.
Granted, the people running the study or setting up the open source fittings probably don’t have the money to encourage people to replace their plumbing, but that’s the solution that won’t see us right back at the problem in a few years. or less.
There are recognized standards for piping and plumbing around the world. Which one do you use?
The issue is the longevity of the stuff. It lasts for decades and even generations. And over that time period we change the standards as new ideas and materials come into play. As a home owner, I have had to adapt new standards to nearly 100 year old standards. I’ve owned houses that had clay, cast iron, copper, galvanized steel, and pex randomly shotgunned into the house as every previous owner had done changes over time.
It would be nice it all piping and plumbing as identical around the world, but it ain’t gonna happen, (and don’t at me with the “metric would solve all that.” Are you talking DIN or JIT or even what ever BS the Chinese are doing today).
I agree wholeheartedly. But replacing all of the piping will be very expensive. I think this is more geared towards the people who don’t have the kind of money or expertise or both to replace their entire plumbing and this will help mitigate those issues by being able to connect weird sizes together. That’s at least what I got from scanning the article.