1 Topic by Tin Falcon

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Topic: NASA Wrench

As some may have heard history was made a few weeksago when the first tool was sent to the international space station via e -mail.
the wrench design has been uploaded to the NASA 3d web page and the stl file is available for download. So if anyone wants to print there own copy of the first wench printed in space have at it. I have one running as I write this.

News link:
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20141229- … ation.html


http://www.3ders.org/images2014/3d-print-the-wrench-nasa-emailed-to-the-space-station-1.gif
Description and STL file here:
http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/wrench-mis
Tin

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2 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: NASA Wrench

Now that they have a 3D printer in space, NASA needs to learn how to model for FDM.  That will snap instantly if printed on its back.

3 Reply by wardjr

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Re: NASA Wrench

In my opinion NASA just wanted to create a little Hype.  If they truly needed to print and use that wrench then I have serious concerns for our space program.
I think that  having a 3D printer available as a tool could prove very useful but it just hasn't happened yet.

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4 Reply by Tin Falcon

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Re: NASA Wrench

In my opinion NASA just wanted to create a little Hype.

I agree. And i see nothing wrong with the hype in this case. Hype creates interest interest creates pubic support. Public support  can mean funding or lack of funding down the road.

From what I see  this was a continued experiment/ test run for on demand supply chain.
There were some discrepancy in the reporting
first report said wrench was needed. Later report said wrench  was not going to be uses as a tool (therefore not needed)
report said wrench printed as parts that were assembled  stl file unit is assembled.
so yes a little bit if dog and pony show media circus.

I think that  having a 3D printer available as a tool could prove very useful but it just hasn't happened yet.

The ISS is a laboratory in space to develop emerging technologies into useful  devices.
Tin

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5 Reply by DePartedPrinter

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Re: NASA Wrench

3 in-lbs...

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6 Reply by Claghorn

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Re: NASA Wrench

I thought this would be a terrific test piece to print since I've just finished a gazillion mods I was doing over the holidays:

http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/hardware/solidoodle/nasa/wrench.jpg

The print looks very nice, and the wrench actually worked as soon as I got it off the print bed, nothing needed to be broken loose, so I guess my mods were all successful :-).

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7 Reply by Serin

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Re: NASA Wrench

Definitely an important step forward in terms of how materials in space will be built.
Hopefully we'll see further increases in support for space exploration and science in the coming years!

This is a crowd funding thing that I'm running: http://www.gofundme.com/bvi140 It's for pretty selfish reasons tongue

8 Reply by Tin Falcon (edited by Tin Falcon 2015-01-03 01:40:54)

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Re: NASA Wrench

Glag yours looks a lot nicer than mine probably should have printed at a finer resolution. I am only a little jeleous.


Definitely an important step forward in terms of how materials in space will be built.
Hopefully we'll see further increases in support for space exploration and science in the coming years!

I think those are both reasons that NASA is  making sure the news is out and the file is available to the public.
Tin

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FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
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9 Reply by TickTock

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Re: NASA Wrench

Claghorn wrote:

I thought this would be a terrific test piece to print since I've just finished a gazillion mods I was doing over the holidays:

http://home.comcast.net/~tomhorsley/hardware/solidoodle/nasa/wrench.jpg

The print looks very nice, and the wrench actually worked as soon as I got it off the print bed, nothing needed to be broken loose, so I guess my mods were all successful :-).

Do you have another torque wrench you can use to test it?  Be interesting to see how close to 3 in-lb  it really is.

10 Reply by Claghorn

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Re: NASA Wrench

TickTock wrote:

Do you have another torque wrench you can use to test it?  Be interesting to see how close to 3 in-lb  it really is.

Nope, no way to check the actual values  :-)

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11 Reply by satman49

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Re: NASA Wrench

I printed it but the pawl won't engage the teeth.It spins freely tho.

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12 Reply by jagowilson (edited by jagowilson 2015-01-06 03:44:25)

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Re: NASA Wrench

I printed one on my .6 nozzle and it came out pretty well. It is pretty easy to counter the ratchet and spin it 360, but it worked after it cooled down and I banged it on the desk a bit.

This might make a very solid piece to test the overall calibration of your machine. Nerdgasm did a video here and if your machine is well calibrated and has no mechanical issues, it should work rather well.

http://www.soliforum.com/misc.php?action=pun_attachment&item=7267&download=0

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13 Reply by Claghorn

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Re: NASA Wrench

Just for curiosity, has anyone ever figured out if the little button actually does anything :-).

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14 Reply by DePartedPrinter

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Re: NASA Wrench

jagowilson wrote:

I printed one on my .6 nozzle and it came out pretty well. It is pretty easy to counter the ratchet and spin it 360, but it worked after it cooled down and I banged it on the desk a bit.

This might make a very solid piece to test the overall calibration of your machine. Nerdgasm did a video here and if your machine is well calibrated and has no mechanical issues, it should work rather well.


Your picture shows under-extrusion. The tolerances on the NASA wrench look pretty forgiving so I'm not sure that it is a great test piece for overall calibration. Under extrusion will generally allow you to pull off complicated prints (moving parts, etc) but they will have less strength than they should.

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15 Reply by Claghorn

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Re: NASA Wrench

Imagine the bridges you could print on parts in zero gee :-).

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16 Reply by jagowilson (edited by jagowilson 2015-01-07 14:28:44)

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Re: NASA Wrench

DePartedPrinter wrote:
jagowilson wrote:

I printed one on my .6 nozzle and it came out pretty well. It is pretty easy to counter the ratchet and spin it 360, but it worked after it cooled down and I banged it on the desk a bit.

This might make a very solid piece to test the overall calibration of your machine. Nerdgasm did a video here and if your machine is well calibrated and has no mechanical issues, it should work rather well.


Your picture shows under-extrusion. The tolerances on the NASA wrench look pretty forgiving so I'm not sure that it is a great test piece for overall calibration. Under extrusion will generally allow you to pull off complicated prints (moving parts, etc) but they will have less strength than they should.

I was playing around trying to figure out the cause of my sloppy fill with the .6. I forgot to switch my multiplier back wink nonetheless it still required some breaking to make it work from my machine and it barely works correctly.  Probably drive system accuracy issues.

17 Reply by mark.rehorst

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Re: NASA Wrench

TickTock wrote:

Do you have another torque wrench you can use to test it?  Be interesting to see how close to 3 in-lb  it really is.

This isn't a torque wrench.  3 in-lbs is the torque limit it can produce before it breaks.  It is a poor design for a wrench because a single, tiny pawl makes contact with the ratchet wheel.  Also, even if the pawl wasn't so weak and it could withstand more torque, the toque applied to the wrench would shear the square peg off the ratchet wheel.  Anyone who has experience with a 3D printer would know that you orient the part on the print bed so that the forces applied don't put the layers in shear because they are weakest that way.  This design can only be used to tighten, not loosen a nut/bolt.

3 in-lbs is only finger tight- you don't need a wrench for that.

This piece was a demo and designed to get as much press coverage as possible.  It was very successful for that, but as a functional wrench?  Not even close...