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[Bell Webb]

Hello everyone, I’m replacing a broken axial guide component from a spindle assembly—this part sits on the Z-axis and connects the drill to the mounted machine frame. It failed during a milling op, likely due to tensile stress and repeated shock loads. We’ve tested Formlabs Tough 2000 and Grey Pro in-house; Tough 2000 performed better in terms of elasticity and strength. I’ve prepared an STL file—any recommendations for a material and process that would match or outperform Tough 2000? Bonus if it handles fatigue well.

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[Jones Smith]

It’s not easy to find something better than Formlabs Tough 2000, it’s a great resin. However, since you’re specifically asking for fatigue resistance and better elasticity performance, it’s possible that Tough 1500 is actually a better fit for your application. It is more similar to polypropylene than ABS and handles cyclic loading better than the Tough 2000.

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[martin.walter]

Just a stupid question – does it need to be printed? Is it not an option to machine it from ABS or polyprop? I can’t see your STL file – how complex or intricate is the part? Virgin machined material should have better fatigue resistance than an SLA-printed part. Any 3D printed part will have layer lines and risks having defects that may contribute to stress concentrations.

If it has to be 3D printed, you could try skipping SLA entirely and go for Nylon 11 in a PBF (powder bed fusion) printer. It is known for its flexibility and fatigue resistance.

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