Compliant Mechanism Toggle Clamp

prusaprinters

<p>Hello,</p><p><br>this is my prototype of a compliant clamp. It is designed to hold things down that have a height of approx. 5 mm.&nbsp;</p><p>If you want to clamp something that is taller than 5 mm you can easily upscale the model in your slicer :-)&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The dimensions are approx. 65 x 45 x 4 mm &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So far it has the following features:</p><ul><li>A ring to actuate the clamp - push it down and the clamp will open, pull it up and it will clamp.</li><li>A basic compliant joint so that the surface of the object that has to be clamped does not have to be completely even.</li><li>Holes to attach zip ties.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I hope you like it.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Please note: </strong>3D printed compliant mechanisms can be brittle depending on your print settings and material used. I recommend to actuate it once (very carefully) after printing while the print is still warm. After actuating it once let the mechanism cool down to room temperature. In my experience compliant mechanisms are quite sturdy, depending on your printer settings and filament.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>How do you print it?</strong></p><p>The clamp consists of only one part and can be printed in around one hour without supports. I recommend a 0.12 mm layer height, a 20% gyroid infill (you can use a higher infill to make it even more durable if you like) and PLA.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I put not only a lot of heart and time into my models but also provide them for free. Please leave a comment or shoot me a message instead of simply posting a 1 star review, I'm sure there is no problem that can't be solved. Thank you!</p>