Need a very flexible part printed

I have a part that is a mask that goes over the nose. I would like to print it in a material that is as close to the manufactured material - a silicone, rubbery material.
Is this achievable with a reprap-style printer, and what is the best material?

... you can change the extruder for a dispenser and print with silicone ...

*** EDIT ***

- here a sample, printed with air-dryed silicone:



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2019 03:11AM by VDX.

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Very interesting, could you show us the dispenser? What type of silicone do you use and where do you get it? Do you have to use one time use kits or are you able to reseal the dispenser for later use?

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Kind regards
Imqqmi

NFAN CoreXY printer:
[reprap.org]

Wouldn't it be possible to use the original part to make a mold instead? I think it's easier this way since it sounds like you have the original part as well that needs to be replaced. That said, you could also 3D-print a mold by using the mold option in Cura and put silicone in that part.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2019 07:12AM by Ohmarinus.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

... this was made with a comercial motor-driven dispenser while testing for a project (most actual infos under NDA).

But you can see one of my older DIY-prototypes and different cartoushes here:

[reprap.org]

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

... here some videos with another jetter-dispenser, printing and UV-curing UV-glue:

[vimeo.com]
[vimeo.com]
[vimeo.com]

The UV-glue was a common comercial type from Delo ... the blue silicone was a standard "sanitarian" type with some dye added ...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2019 09:20AM by VDX.

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

I designed and printed a lot of molds for silicon casting. It is pretty easy to do. I also print a lot of very soft Filaments, none of which is close to silicon in softness, i doubt you will find anything that will work for you. Flexible filament is actually a very nice material for molds, but not always easy to print.

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[www.bonkers.de]
[merlin-hotend.de]
[www.hackerspace-ffm.de]

You can print very soft filament like Ninaflex, shore hardness 82-85. It is very soft, but not silicone soft, and you need a direct-drive extruder and SLOW print rates.
As someone mentioned, CURA has a "mold" setting where it will take the model and invert it to a mold that you can cast silicone in. That latter is a cheap experiment.

DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.

I've been keeping an eye out for developments like this for a while, the ability to print things in silicone would be extremely helpful for automotive applications. The temperature stability of silicone makes it suitable for engine compartment applications or even interior parts that PLA and even ABS might have trouble with. Temperatures in strong sunlight on the dashboard can get amazingly high, and of course in winter they can also get very low. Winter temperature swings (-30°C overnight parked, to +20°C when the car warms up to be habitable inside has done some terrible things to some of my 3D printed parts. It can get even worse for things under the hood of the car, which also has to deal with water, and sometimes oil and grease.

So yeah, the ability to print in silicone would be valuable to me. I'm kind of hoping that something becomes more widely available int he RepRap community soon

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MBot3D Printer
MakerBot clone Kit from Amazon
Added heated bed.

Leadscrew self-built printer (in progress)
Duet Wifi, Precision Piezo parts

... were you been aware of the fab@home project, which started short after RepRap in 2006?

They focussed on silicone-dispensers ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

No, I was not.

Looks like I've got my evening's reading ahead to do.

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MBot3D Printer
MakerBot clone Kit from Amazon
Added heated bed.

Leadscrew self-built printer (in progress)
Duet Wifi, Precision Piezo parts

60ml Syringe Extruder for Liquid Deposition Modeling

[www.thingiverse.com]

Bowden Syringe Extruder

[www.thingiverse.com]

Quote
VDX
... you can change the extruder for a dispenser and print with silicone ...

*** EDIT ***

- here a sample, printed with air-dryed silicone:

[attachment 111715 Siliko-3D-Druck-1.jpg] [attachment 111716 Siliko-3D-Druck-2.jpg]

ou used?
That's interesting VDX - could you share what extruder (and filament) y

... this was common sanitary silicone (normally white, with some blue dye to get our "company-blue"), printed with a motor-driven syringe -- see the other links for some types.

I'm testing and developing with all sorts of "additive tools" (and subtractive too), so have different motor- or pressed air driven syringe-dispensers ... or jetter's ... or totally different (some unique, self developed) ...

This is all (together with my laser-related work) collecting bits'n'bytes for pacing my "personal agenda" -- "unlimited multi-material fabbing at home" ...

And no "dimensional" limits too:
- did some serious work and development in micro-/nanotech-projects with dimensional accuracies down to some nanometers ...
- and if you read through my signature -- ideas and plans for fabbing "mega-structures" with sizes of many kilometres

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]