Nuts and Volts - December 2016

50 December 2016

my FLASHFORGE Dreamer 3D printer. This design would have fit on my smaller MP Select Mini 3D printer, but I was printing with ABS plastic. I wanted ABS because it is more flexible than a PLA plastic, which is better for the battery clip.

Printing ABS works best in an enclosed chamber to keep the heat in. This reduces the risk of splitting or warping of the print, which ABS tends to do. So, the FLASHFORGE Dreamer is the better choice with its enclosed chamber.

The design printed well and was ready to install the electronics into. I connected and soldered a nine volt battery cable to the board, then cut the positive red wire and installed an SPDT switch in series. The circuit and box are shown in Figure 9 ready to assemble.

I used a couple strips of double-sided foam stick tape to hold the board in place. I could have designed screw holes and posts in the plastic, but since it was a first attempt, this was a bit easier. The nine volt battery snaps into the clips at the bottom. The switch inserts into the hole at the top of the box and is held in place by a nut that screws on the switch threads. That’s it.

The design is complete and a flip of the switch produces a back and forth flashing light indicating I’m filming my next You Tube clips. Placing this in a window of my shop or hanging it from the door indicates that filming is going on.

Conclusion

This is not the most complex design electrically or mechanically, but it does show a step-by-step approach to creating an electronically based product with the help of a

3D printer. This is exactly why I bought my first printer, so I could make custom cases in the way I wanted rather than getting a box off the shelf and modifying it.

In most cases, the modification method rarely produces a package I’m willing to show off. Having the ability to create a custom package is something that 3D printing helps to deliver to any electronics developer. I am constantly amazed at what people are able to create with these things.

I finished off my box by painting the recessed letters with some white paint. It wasn’t the best look, but it was definitely more visible. I could have printed in two colors with the FLASHFORGE Dreamer since it has dual extruders, but I’ll save that for a future article/ video. NV