Hi MaB
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with 3d printing the props!! I just got a spool og Polymaker PC-Max today and started printing the 140-230 prop this morning. The print unfortunately failed because of the wings lifted of the print bed, print was 50% done, but I noticed that the layer adhesion wasn’t very good, when bending the half-finished prop.
Could you maybe share your print settings and your experience printing with PC-Max? Temps, speed, layer height, line width etc.? And did you anneal the prop afterwards in an oven?
If someone is interested, here is a 3d model close to the one FR used to reach 50kmh the first time :
Generated using the same software, I do not have that much time to tinker the different parameters so I share it “as it”.
Yeah, this prop is made to be CNC’ed. You’d get way better results trying to make it in alu. I would suggest anyone wanting to mill it to use 7075-t6. That’s what FR is using. This particular al is aerospace grade bu is not corrosive resistant, meaning you have to anodize it afterwards. Here too, I would suggest hard anodizing with 50µm at least.
I will try to upload a thicker version if I can but I can’t promise for now.
Have you got any tips for the shroud? My new 3D printer arrived and I can print that missing part now.
What profile should I use?
How many struts?
What angle is best?
How much clearance is best?
As a starting point, have look at Pacificmeisters build, there is a parametric prop and duct. You could adapt that parametric duct to your needs. It has six struts. I printed a modified version to fit my prop. It is printed in ASA-X and with 6 struts it’s fairly stable.
I was also playing with the Caeses B-series propeller generator, what did you choose for root thickness and minimum blade thickness? Not sure what the minimum for a 3d printed prop would be that it does not break. Any real world values? Prop diameter 150mm.
Thanks for sharing your design! Interested to see your results with this prop.
In CAD you can see in a front view that this prop has a lot of blade surface compared to my other props. It this something common in this blade design?
I would guess that it’s since i have high power at relatively low rpm defined —> high torque needed, higher blade area. Test print done in carbon filament (professional company)
I would like to share a prop design based on the blades of the post below. The blade shape is similar but thickened and modified to be usable as 3D printed prop in PLA.
The hub is modified for a PM-style setup, hub diameter 35mm, shaft 8mm. Does not fit the PM duct.
Basis specs:
Diameter: 143mm
Pitch: approx 168mm
shaft: 8mm
pin: 3mm
Printed with supports (quite a lot) with a layer height of 0.16mm. Some postprocessing is needed.
My prop is printed in PLAcarbon with good results, feels stiff and similar to other printed props that I have. Still untested on the water! I will report back.
