Ender 5 bed supports (The Original "Super Struts")

thingiverse

Update: 3/15/20 - (PLA) Material Warning! Due to numerous reports from users who printed their struts out of PLA and encountered issues with cracking, I conducted extensive testing using various brands and colors of PLA. After many hours of testing, I concluded that the strength and durability of this design vary greatly depending on the specific PLA brand and color used. Initially, I intended to publish the results of each PLA tested, but after careful consideration, I decided it wouldn't be fair to the manufacturers to post data showing my results, as they could differ significantly from user to user. This decision was made with new users in mind who might be discouraged by poor results and opt for alternative materials. My results conflicted with reported successes from some users for several brands/colors of PLA, leading me to believe that there are too many variables to accurately recommend specific PLA brands for use with this design. Therefore, I strongly advise against printing this design out of PLA or, at the very least, proceed with caution. If you do choose to print with PLA, be aware that it may not perform as intended and could potentially fail if mishandled during installation. PETG is a superior choice due to its designed strength and flexibility; users who have printed with PETG have reported successful results without any issues. To illustrate the difference between PLA and PETG, I found that printing out of PLA required caution when pressing the ends onto the aluminum subbed, as excessive pressure could lead to cracking. In contrast, PETG-printed struts can be manually twisted by hand without any signs of splitting or cracking. I highly recommend using PETG for optimal results and a seamless installation experience. If you do choose to print with PLA, be aware that it may not perform as intended and take necessary precautions to ensure successful printing.