3D PRINTING CAR PARTS
IS IT POSSIBLE TO 3D PRINT CAR PARTS? With the right 3D printer and setup, anyone can create custom car parts from dashboards and custom air intakes to wide-body fenders.
PARTS LIST
Creality Ender 3 Max Neo (11.8x11.8x12.6in Print Bed Size)
You can also find plenty of free pre-created 3d car parts here:
3D PRINTED AUTOMOTIVE MODELS
First up is a cooling vent that also functions as a gauge holder. The model was made by J0Mueller and can be found on Thingiverse.
THIS 3D PRINT IS A SIMPLE DESIGN THAT’S PERFECT FOR OUR FIRST PRINT
TIME TO PRINT: 4 HOURS
Note: Print speed depends on the 3d printer infill density, infill pattern, and print speed.
Next is a custom cold air intake inlet. Our BMW e30 has 4 headlights and this 3d printed part replaces one of the high-beam headlights. The air intake inlet is then connected to the intake manifold. The model was made by Johnny379 and can be found here on Thingiverse as well.
TIME TO PRINT: 17 HOURS
The third item on the list is a 3d replica model of a BMW e30 dashboard insert. The model looks to have been scanned and converted into a 3d file and cost us $30 from Tangent Innovation. This is the largest 3d printed car part we could print on our 11.8”x11.8”x12.6” Ender 3 print bed without splitting up the part.
TIME TO PRINT: 20 HOURS
Once completed we added an LCD touch screen and Raspberry Pi to the 3d printed dashboard.
BEST 3D FILAMENT FOR CAR PARTS
Most beginners start with PLA filament because it's easy to print with. However, PLA doesn’t withstand the weather or the hot sun very well. PLA will start to warp around 120 F. ABS will not necessarily start to melt, but will become brittle over time when in direct sunlight. Therefore you’ll want to print car parts with ABS-based filament.
Note: The downside to ABS is that it's a little harder to print with, but with higher 3d printer hot end and bed settings you’ll have successful results.
There’s also PEGT which has some weather-resistant properties but is said to print more easily than ABS. However, some have mixed results. We haven’t tried PEGT yet, but Creality has some directions on PEGT 3D printing here.
BEST 3D PRINTER FOR CAR PARTS
By far one of the easiest 3d printers to use with little to no fussing is any printer from Bambu Lab. The best bang for your buck will be the Bambu Lab P1S. Its print bed comes in at 10.07” x 10.07” x 10.07”.
If you want to print larger parts like a full dashboard, then you’ll want to go with something from Creality. The Creality CR-M4 3D Printer has a massive 17.71” x 17.71” x 18.5” bed size. Our Creality Ender 3 Max Neo with a 11.8” x 11.8” x 12.6” bed did the job, but it was a tight fit.
WATCH 3D PRINTING A DASHBOARD
RELATED POSTS
