3D Printed Pump

I designed a pump prototype using a spatial cam and a piston. After designing process, I printed the pump on a 3D printer, I cleaned it from support material, I made the valves, and now the pump is ready for action.
When the crank is rotating, the rotation is transformed in translation movement by the spatial cam (the brown part).
A short movie with this pump is shown on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZXf_hwig40&feature=player_embedded

Step 1: Printing Process

Printing process: The pump was positioned on the 3D printing machine and it was built. I used a polymer jet machine. This machine uses two materials: one is used for part building and the other is used for support and it must be removed after printing. I chose to build all the assembly in one piece, except the covers, in order to clean the support material.

Step 2: Cleaning Process

The support material is removed by hand and by waterjet.

Step 3: Valve Assembly

I used drilled screws, springs and balls for valves construction, because it was impossible to obtain them by 3D printing.

Step 4: The Pump in Action

Turning the crank, I blow up a balloon. In the next stage, the crank will be replaced with a motor.

Comments

[bob491]

this is really cool! Could you post STL or OBJ files?

[gravityisweak]

This is really great, could you also pump water with this?

[extrem]

yes

[psouthern1]

I just wondered what material you printed the piston with, and whether or not you had any leaks? Any idea what pressure it was pumping at?

Is that an Objet Connex machine you've printed it on - our 350 just arrived yesterday - looking forward to trying it out.

Cheers

[extrem]

I have few leaks on one valve, but it works good enough to be able to inflate a bike tire. I had leaks on piston with first gasket, but now it works fine. I don't know the material, I'll ask in september the technician. (Now he has holiday).

[bfk]

Verry nice... Could you post the stl files?

[extrem]

Because of model complexity and big accuracy required (25 micron), stl files are very big (350MB).

[ssrdi02]

Can you post the stl on github? It would be very nice to have available

[ssrdi02]

Would very much appreciate you postingthe stl files on github

[lemonie]

I see a couple of bearings in there, but your spatial cam is just surface-to surface - you're going to have problems with wear / cooling / lubrication in there.

L

[extrem]

The follower (blue) is rotating in the mangenta part, soo is rolling on the cam. I have holes for easy lubrication this joint and the cam too. The original project have needles for easy rotation, but the stl file was too big and I haven't enough memory to load this file on 3D printer computer...

[lemonie]

Needles, yes I was thinking about that.
What do you see as being the advantages over other pumps?

L

[extrem]

it is easy customizable. Just by changing the cam you can change the pump capacity and the needed power.
It has lower liniar inertial forces like in the rod-crank mechanism, less vibrations.
The cam's path can be optimized for best performance.