low drag pneumatic check valve

thingiverse

I got an idea for a check valve and managed to talk myself into building one. This valve is designed with no particular purpose in mind, but it works incredibly well. The valve itself seals much better than the valve-to-pipe connection or the unusual pipe adapter I created. Paper proved to be a suitable material for the flapper, but blowing through it caused problems due to moisture, so thin plastic sheets like those used for overheads work perfectly. To create the template for the flapper, use layer 10 of the DXF file and print it at a scale of 1:1. I combined the two 3D printed parts and then proceeded to print additional components, cut out a flapper, insert it into the valve, and install the retainer. It's essential to glue the retainer firmly in place; I didn't show this step in the video because I'm still learning. When gluing the retainer, be sure to apply just a small amount of adhesive and avoid getting any on the flapper itself. Once the components are assembled, seal them into the pipe, which has an internal diameter of 46mm. The pipe is typically used for vacuum systems in homes. To see more of this project, check out my YouTube video at https://youtu.be/vcPDPYN-Pmc. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to find me on Twitter @RueNahcMohr or join the #robotics channel on the Freenode IRC network (https://webchat.freenode.net/).