3D Printed Multiwall Greenhouse Glazing

From Open Source Ecology
Jump to: navigation, search


Prototype

Download source file in FreeCAD or STL to try this yourself - File:Twinwall.tar.gz

Multiwall ABS print, next step is transparent polycarbonate. May 2016. Download source file in FreeCAD or STL to try this yourself - File:Twinwall.tar.gz Note the time of printing for 6"x6" is 3:19 hours, 73 grams of PLA filament, 9 meters of 3 mm. Twinwalltime.jpg

Info

Studying Solexx for 4' wide double wall stabilized polyethylene glazing with 10 year lifetime - it costs $8 per foot of length, or $2/sf - [1]. This is more expensive than twin-wall polycarbonate.

If one foot weighs one pound - the materials cost using 3D printing would be quite expensive - $10. This is more expensive than the finished product.

One has to turn to producing their own filament - say from pellets - which are $1 per pound, or recycled sources, which can be lower.

At $1/lb - we can consider high performance greenhouse at 25 cents per square foot, almost 10x lower cost than Solexx. Multi-wall glazing can also be printed.

  • How about polycarbonate? See data on strength - [2].

Has DIY polycarbonate filament extrusion happened? Yes - see [3]

Thus, where do we get polycarbonate pellets? For example - [4]


UV Stabilizers

  • 3 main stabilizers - [5]

Links

  • Recycled plastic sources - [6]
  • 1kG Spool of polycarbonate - $36 - [7]

Consultants

  • PolymerTechnology and Services - [8]