3D printed ETC chamber

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Comments

  • MH1MH1 Posts: 2
    The diameter of the o-ring fit the bottom part of the chamber, but the thickness of the o-ring prevented the top from securely fitting. I tried forcing it down and it doesn't seal. I had an o-ring that had a smaller diameter but was thicker, which worked well until the o-ring snapped and broke off. We are going to try hitting up a hardware store and testing a bunch out. It probably has to do with slight variations in how each 3D printer handles the file.
  • haochenhaochen Posts: 15
    I agree with you this is most likely due to the difference in the printer. I uploaded two pictures showing the two chambers I printed today. I will ship them out tomorrow.
    http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:106486
  • Hi Hao, I have fabricated electrodes for the 3D printed chamber, but I must say that I am having some large difficulty making it waterproof. The O-Ring DOES seem to fit, and the cap can be secured quite tightly, yet the sides of the seam leak anyway. I will play around with some rubber sealant and let you know how it goes.
  • haochenhaochen Posts: 15
    Joel, Thanks for your feedback. Could you please be more specific about the leak? It is leaking through the o-ring?
  • https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6RE82086JGFOXlqamFibnVnMTA/edit?usp=sharing

    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6RE82086JGFWWQxRGFoZ1BSZHc/edit?usp=sharing

    These are a few pictures of the leak. In one of the photos I have taken, I am holding the top down with my hand, in the other, I am not. When I press the top down tightly with my fingers, the leak diminishes, but remains steady. When I let go of the top, the volume increases. There may be a small issue with the 3D printed dimensions of the cap causing an imperfect fit with the o-ring.
  • haochenhaochen Posts: 15
    I see. Thanks for the pictures. It must have something to do with the pressure inside because when I tested it by just putting water inside, it was not leaking. I am wondering if you have some teflon tape handy. It might help.
  • Hey guys. Nice work getting started with a 3D printed ETC chamber. I also started working on my own 3D printed design as soon as the protocol was published and decided to use glazed ceramic instead of extruded thermoplastic for a number of reasons:

    1) heat tolerant;
    2) chemically resistant;
    3) mechanically stronger (no warping under pressure);
    4) 100% water proof;
    5) 100% light proof to protect photosensitive samples;
    6) much better resolution and tolerances (negligible variability between prints)

    I've printed and mechanically tested various prototypes (lab is setting up to run the full CLARITY protocol but not quite ready yet) and settled on a design that has some nice features and details:

    1) chamfered internal edges to minimize trapped bubbles;
    2) use of a flat rubber gasket instead of an o-ring to provide a reliable water tight lid seal;
    3) parallel electrode ports to make electrode insertion easier;
    4) adjustable/replaceable electrodes w/ custom gaskets to prevent leaking;
    5) simple and foolproof lid securing system using two rubber bands

    The printed ceramic chamber is available on Shapeways (http://tinyurl.com/m2qjana) in multiple colors. And in the spirit of open hardware you can freely download the .stl file from that site as well if you want to try printing it on your own. Full disclosure: you'd save about $7 by printing it yourself, but that little extra helps me design and pay for prototypes to improve this design and develop other awesome open science projects.

    Hope you guys like it!
  • aysegulaysegul Posts: 33
    Hi @haochen. Is your printer still on strike ? Are still waiting the nozzle replacement ?
  • haochenhaochen Posts: 15
    @aysegul I was able to confirm what @joelrosiene found with my chambers. They do leak from the O-ring when I ran water through. Even though the oring is very tight and it holds water just fine.
  • aysegulaysegul Posts: 33
    @haocehn thanks for your reply. Do you think it is fixable?
  • haochenhaochen Posts: 15
    @aysegul, I tried to put several layers of teflon tape under the o-ring and then seal it with electric tape. It was able to seal it when I run water through the system. I will ship the test unit out to you tomorrow.
  • aysegulaysegul Posts: 33
    @Haochen thanks for your attention. I will be waiting for your chamber excitedly. Sorry for my unpatiently behaviour :) I am so excited to try the chamber.
  • @stuberlab and @haochen... I am wondering if you had any developments on the sealing front for your desktop 3D printed chambers. Seems that even 100% with ABS material, which can be "sealed" in post-processing, we are still having some minor leaks through the walls. I am debating whether or not to try dipping the chamber in a detergent-resistant coating... perhaps some kind of car wax.

    @LabDaemons, thanks for designing a ceramic chamber. There are indeed many benefits to this as a material.
  • @KatherineHolzem No problem, hope people find it useful. I've posted the design file on Dropbox (http://tinyurl.com/myoxmmd). It can be edited using the free 123 Design CAD program, if you want to improve on the design.

    If you just want to print the original design, you can use the .stl file (http://tinyurl.com/kbzhv34) or just print it from Shapeways (http://tinyurl.com/m2qjana).



  • how did the ceramic turn out?
  • SolderSolder Posts: 4
    Are there any issues with the current ETC chamber designs? Any complaints or areas in need of improvement that people want to bring to light?
  • neuro100neuro100 Posts: 2
    Is the ceramic chamber working? Can you post links to sources for the appropriate lid and electrode gaskets?
  • jflynnjflynn Posts: 6
    edited April 2014
    @Labdaemons What a cool design. Very tempted to buy a couple of those. Could you provide the details of seals/gaskets you'd recommend? Also, does the inlet tubing seal over that ceramic port okay? Or would you need to fit a barb onto the port as well? Thanks for posting that neat design.
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