CrazyBlackStone

Hi,I don't quite understand what exactly you're mentioning, but this machine is completely original in terms of design and most of the principle of operation.If you're saying that Lulzbot has made 3D printers using 3D printed parts:Unfortunately, this is not a 3d printer, and I'm sure there are many good 3D printers out there that use 3D printed parts also. I'm sure rigid 3D printed parts are strong enough to be used for 3D printers, but that's not what this machine is made to test.I am not aware of anything made by Lulzbot that has a similar structure to my design, and the only thing I can find is where they built a small test jig using wood, some straps, and a crane scale. This is one of the ways you can build a low-cost tensile testing machine, but by no means is it similar to my des...

Hi,I don't quite understand what exactly you're mentioning, but this machine is completely original in terms of design and most of the principle of operation.If you're saying that Lulzbot has made 3D printers using 3D printed parts:Unfortunately, this is not a 3d printer, and I'm sure there are many good 3D printers out there that use 3D printed parts also. I'm sure rigid 3D printed parts are strong enough to be used for 3D printers, but that's not what this machine is made to test.I am not aware of anything made by Lulzbot that has a similar structure to my design, and the only thing I can find is where they built a small test jig using wood, some straps, and a crane scale. This is one of the ways you can build a low-cost tensile testing machine, but by no means is it similar to my design.

Woah I don't know why I'm so obsessed over everyone's entries, but man you're really trying to win this contest. This instructable is more detailed than mine!

Thank you!I like your lettuce go to space project :)

Very creative. I found this on the projects page, and after looking at the pictures, I realized it's the nerf target guy.I just love the way you present those steps.

Great project!

Wow! This is such an amazing project!I am currently working on a large custom CoreXY 3D printer and an universal testing machine using Fusion 360 (it used to be Tinkercad), both involving stepper motors, and I'm just so impressed with how you managed to create this machine with the limited supplies you started off with. I think that, with the cost in mind, what you've accomplished was great.Suggestions:It seems like the stepper motor (or is that a brushless motor, can't tell) driving the Y axis might be skipping steps in the video. I'm not sure if the choppy movement is meant to happen, but if it is skipping steps, you might want to consider adding gears to multiply the torque.Also hot glue doesn't seem like the best way to mount things. The best way is to use bolts, obviously. I use M3...

Wow! This is such an amazing project!I am currently working on a large custom CoreXY 3D printer and an universal testing machine using Fusion 360 (it used to be Tinkercad), both involving stepper motors, and I'm just so impressed with how you managed to create this machine with the limited supplies you started off with. I think that, with the cost in mind, what you've accomplished was great.Suggestions:It seems like the stepper motor (or is that a brushless motor, can't tell) driving the Y axis might be skipping steps in the video. I'm not sure if the choppy movement is meant to happen, but if it is skipping steps, you might want to consider adding gears to multiply the torque.Also hot glue doesn't seem like the best way to mount things. The best way is to use bolts, obviously. I use M3 bolts and embedded nuts for mounting plastic printed pieces on my CoreXY printer, but threading the screws straight into plastic would also work just fine. This would add a little bit of cost to the machine, but I think that the improvement it'll make is worth considering.Do you have a video showing it drawing things? I'd love to see it in action.

Wow! Thank you for the comment! I really did not expect this many people to look at this project and write comments. I am working on releasing a newer (upgraded) version of the machine, which will be able to exert more force, handle more stress, and hopefully provide better accuracy due to the improvements I made in the design. I am also integrating the data acquisition code into the new version as well.Unfortunately, I do not have access to Instron or any professional tensile testers, so I can't find out how much inaccuracy there is. And I think that with all the flaws in this cheap machine, the accuracy will not be able to match that of an Instron machine, even with calibrated load cells. Though from the data we gathered in Science Fair, I think that the repeatability of this machine ...

Wow! Thank you for the comment! I really did not expect this many people to look at this project and write comments. I am working on releasing a newer (upgraded) version of the machine, which will be able to exert more force, handle more stress, and hopefully provide better accuracy due to the improvements I made in the design. I am also integrating the data acquisition code into the new version as well.Unfortunately, I do not have access to Instron or any professional tensile testers, so I can't find out how much inaccuracy there is. And I think that with all the flaws in this cheap machine, the accuracy will not be able to match that of an Instron machine, even with calibrated load cells. Though from the data we gathered in Science Fair, I think that the repeatability of this machine is good enough to analyze trends between different specimens.

Thanks! We're publishing a paper on the Journal of Emerging Investigators on our findings soon.

Thank you so much!

This is quite well-made! Solid instructable and best of luck to you! :)

Hi, I like your creativity and ingenuity, but I do have see some problems and have some suggestions related to the principle of function in this system.If you read this comment, please don't take this in a bad way. I'm giving my opinions and constructive criticism on this subject, but by no means does that make this project not fun and creative. It's great that you're trying to solve problems, and I really don't want to ruin that mindset, so keep up the thinking. Hydro powerHydro power generates electricity by taking advantage of the water cycle. Water flows from mountains to rivers and into the ocean, then is evaporated and transferred back to the mountains. Turbines are turned by the motion of the water and converts the energy to electricity. This energy may be "free", but i...

Hi, I like your creativity and ingenuity, but I do have see some problems and have some suggestions related to the principle of function in this system.If you read this comment, please don't take this in a bad way. I'm giving my opinions and constructive criticism on this subject, but by no means does that make this project not fun and creative. It's great that you're trying to solve problems, and I really don't want to ruin that mindset, so keep up the thinking. Hydro powerHydro power generates electricity by taking advantage of the water cycle. Water flows from mountains to rivers and into the ocean, then is evaporated and transferred back to the mountains. Turbines are turned by the motion of the water and converts the energy to electricity. This energy may be "free", but it's not created out of nothing. It's simply being transformed from one from of energy (motion) to another (flow of electrons).The problem with this solutionFrom my understanding, you use a pump to accelerate the water and then use a turbine to generate electricity for the pump and stores the extra for the rest of the machine. This may sound good to you in theory, but it would not work in reality, for one reason: the law of conservation of energy along with inefficiencies. The law states that no energy can be created nor destroyed, but only converted into another form of energy. This would mean that the best condition that this machine can run at is with the generator generating just enough electricity to make the pump run, but no more to power the computer. However, nothing is 100% efficient in electricity, so adding friction of the water against the container, inefficiency in the pump, transformer, generator, and wire, the system cannot even sustain itself let alone providing power to the computer.How to make a working green energy generatorWhile hydro power may not work, there are many alternatives you can go for. Wind turbines and solar panels are particularly effective ones for home use. You can power the PC from solar panels that are set up from the roof of the house. You would simply need solar panels, a 12v solar charge controller or a boost converter, a battery, and some wiring. You can find many tutorials on Instructables for making DIY solar panels, though keep in mind that you may need few big solar panels to be able to sustain the 400-600W required for a PC.

Wow this is very well documented. Good job!

Hi, thanks for the reply.PLX-DAQ data acquisition seems pretty interesting. When I used this machine for science fair last year, I just copied the data over to Excel by doing Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C quickly. But this seems like a more efficient way, so I'll look into it.Data analysis is a topic I've been thinking about. The traditional extensometers, being multiple times more expensive than the machine itself, are simply too expensive. I'm thinking about either using a digital caliper with digital readout for extensometer. It obviously wouldn't have nearly enough resolution, but it may just get by in the applications this machine is used in. PLX-DAQ would obviously help a lot when another variable, the extensometer, is attached.Unfortunately, this machine does not handle compression because t...

Hi, thanks for the reply.PLX-DAQ data acquisition seems pretty interesting. When I used this machine for science fair last year, I just copied the data over to Excel by doing Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C quickly. But this seems like a more efficient way, so I'll look into it.Data analysis is a topic I've been thinking about. The traditional extensometers, being multiple times more expensive than the machine itself, are simply too expensive. I'm thinking about either using a digital caliper with digital readout for extensometer. It obviously wouldn't have nearly enough resolution, but it may just get by in the applications this machine is used in. PLX-DAQ would obviously help a lot when another variable, the extensometer, is attached.Unfortunately, this machine does not handle compression because the angular contact bearing block is only set up in a way that can handle tensile forces. However, you can easily change the design and flip the direction of the bearing block to allow for compression testing. Or, if you're looking for a universal type, you can extend the motor mount and have two single row angular contact bearings (7201) facing the opposite directions of the bearing block and both have nuts pushed against them.Thanks for the suggestions. And like I said, there will be a final Thingiverse release version coming up. So I'll try to put these features into the newer version and maybe into this version as well if I'm not feeling lazy.

Do I see no supports under the hooks!?!? SORCERY!Really nice job though. I like how you presented the design steps, and I wish you the best of luck :)

Very cool concept. Looks fun to me!

Nice! I like how you addressed the problem and solved it in a newer version.Best of luck from a fellow contestant :)

Glad to hear it from someone with experience in professional tensile testing. Thank you!

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!A little bit of flex is unavoidable with 3D printed parts like this; however, the PLA printed parts are surprisingly resistant to flex, and are even better if you print them with the maximum number of shells and 100% infill.I have performed an analysis in fusion 360 with a the stationary grip designed for the Thingiverse release (which is very similar to the Tinkercad version and should work the same way). The material is set to PC-ABS, which actually has a modulus of 2.78 GPa, less than the 3.5 GPa specified in the datasheet for the recommended PLA filament. A maximum displacement of 0.04704mm was observed in the X direction near the top, which is, to me, very little. And a safety factor of 15 is observed on the entire part. Though I'm no expert...

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!A little bit of flex is unavoidable with 3D printed parts like this; however, the PLA printed parts are surprisingly resistant to flex, and are even better if you print them with the maximum number of shells and 100% infill.I have performed an analysis in fusion 360 with a the stationary grip designed for the Thingiverse release (which is very similar to the Tinkercad version and should work the same way). The material is set to PC-ABS, which actually has a modulus of 2.78 GPa, less than the 3.5 GPa specified in the datasheet for the recommended PLA filament. A maximum displacement of 0.04704mm was observed in the X direction near the top, which is, to me, very little. And a safety factor of 15 is observed on the entire part. Though I'm no expert on this specific subject.Keep in mind that this machine is not designed to be precision machinery. There can be creep and inaccuracies in the load cell and its ADC. Its goal was set to be cheap and easy to make, and more importantly, be a valuable lesson. It ($160) obviously makes no comparison with the $7,000-$40,000 Instron tensile testers. And I think it works very efficiently for the price. :)

Thanks! So are your projects, they are incredibly good! :)

Wow this is amazing. The rendering looks quite cool.

Hi, after doing a little bit of digging, I agree with you. Bolt-down chassis mount commercial fuse holders do often use nickle/zinc plated steel for the contacts and those are often rated for quite a high current (100A), and plus those puny little glass fuses can't take more than 20A anyways. Smaller PCB mount fuse holders all use brass or tinned copper because they need to get the resistance low in a small amount of space. I did the resistance calculations and it seems that the resistance for a 2d size nail cut to 12mm length is only around 0.11306milliohm, so it'd be more than well within the resistance limit for this application.I think you did an amazing job on this project and I hope that you win first place in connectors :)

Thanks!