ChimpChimp
Semi-Pro
Grommets are just a piece of plastics that don't take stress so the choice of material matters little. If there are 3D printed (cheap) grommets we will be happier to replace them more often.
3D printed grommets
- Thread starter ChimpChimp
- Start date
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
The plastic has to be flexible to bend around the head of the racquet.
ChimpChimp
Semi-Pro
No need to be in one piece.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
The top of the bumper guard bends around the top of the racquet.
derick232
Rookie
There was another thread about doing this for old rackets that don't have grommets available anymore. I have a printer and would actually try it if I had a file to print. modeling one from scratch without a model of the racket itself would be nearly impossible. So really the only option is to get one 3D scanned.
As for cost effectiveness, I don't think it would be worth it for any racket that has grommets available. The actual cost of the grommet wouldn't be that expensive but you would waste a lot of material on support. Not to mention they wouldn't be as tough as production grommets.
And they are actually under a lot of stress from the strings, which would be a huge disadvantage to 3D printing them because the layers would likely delaminate after pulling tension. Nylon would have the best chance of survival but still won't solve the layer issues. But like I said, if someone has a 3D scanner and wants to scan some grommets I can try printing them.
fritzhimself
Hall of Fame
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ChimpChimp
Semi-Pro
Because of the shape?
fritzhimself
Hall of Fame
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esgee48
G.O.A.T.
You said it yourself in your opening post. The choice of material that can be laid down matters. PLA is too heavy and brittle. When they introduce a soft malleable material that can be formed is when you may have printable grommets. Even then, the manner in which the layers are currently printed create their own issues.
I certainly would try TPU if I had to do it, because it's flexible, does not delaminate , and prints "easily" (at common 3D printing temperatures, unlike nylon) (and I have "only" PLA/PETG/ABS/ASA/TPU at hand) . but it is flexible so would need thick-enough walls to not collapse inside the raquet on tie off grommets.
