Mini-Rotomolder 3D Model

What cooler way to show how innovative 3D printing can be by printing a unit that itself can be used in 3D plastic molding. Here’s a cool Mini Roto molder concept with a little steam punk flavor to it. A 4 gear drivetrain is used to spin the inner frame while the outer frame rotates on the opposite plane. These motions combined make for 360 degrees of even, spherical rotation, allowing for an even coating of any two part pourable urethane or epoxy plastic such as Smooth on or Poly-Tek. The parts produce in this molder will be hollow and light weight. The maximum build size is approximately 4”Lx2.8”WX2.3”D, preferably using a 2 part silicone or urethane mold. The molder features adjustable holding plates with built in grips, to hold and allow for the centering of the mold. To maximize build size and meet the build size requirements, the manual spin handle was designed to be printed in the upright position, it can be rotated out once the filler is dissolved. NOTES:!! I’ve included the nuts for the 4 clamp “bolts” in the lower frame in the .stl. When the filler material is dissolved, you will be left with 4 loose nuts to be used to clamp down the plates. I felt this would be the best way to do it as printed with the nuts in place on the bolts might prove really difficult. If there are issues with the whole “nut and bolt” system, I’ve included, a second .stl with the “printed” nuts and bolts left out. This way, you can use four M8 bolts from the hardware store and washers or spacers to clamp everything down. It just provides a second option of doing things. A fellow GC member was able to do a 1/2 scale test print, as shown in pictures. So far, the design seems very feasible. Modeled with SW2012, rendered with Keyshot 5.1, all renderings are included with the file package, the model is best printed in a printer than can do soluble support material. Thanks for looking, Jon.