3D printing of non assembly articulated models
💯 Best STL files of print-in-place no support models to make with a 3D printer・Cults
💯 Best STL files of print-in-place no support models to make with a 3D printer
Download 3D files of print-in-place objects without support
Great trend in 3D printing for several years, "Print-in-Place" or printing in place no support has revolutionized 3D modeling for 3D printing. Indeed, 3D files are now easily printable without support and are usable and sometimes even articulated when printing.
PRINT-IN-PLACE SPRING LOADED BOX
Free
Articulated Dragon
€3.75
flexi turtle
Free
Print in Place Engine Benchmark
Free
Cute Mini Octopus
Free
flexi puppy
Free
Articulated Lizard v2
Free
flexi mammoth
Free
Articulated Shark
Free
PRINT-IN-PLACE PHONE HOLDER - FOR SPACE?!
Free
flexi bear
Free
Print in Place- Distance Measuring Roll Tool
Free
Predator Action Pliers
Free
FLEXI BEETLE
Free
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Frog
€1. 83
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Skeleton
€2.77
CUTE FLEXI PRINT-IN-PLACE CROCODILE
€2.77
Print In Place PCB-Holder / Gripper
Free
Flexi PRINT-IN-PLACE Hand
€1.83
flexi zombie animals
Free
Print-in-place and articulated Jet Fighter with Stand
Free
Flexi Print-in-Place Fish
€1.83
Collapsible Sword - Épée dépliable - No support / Print In place Version 1
Free
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Turtle
€1.83
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Ant
€1. 83
Surprise Egg #4 - Tiny Excavator
Free
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Spider
€1.83
Flexi Print-in-Place llamacorn (llama unicorn)
€1.83
SD Card Toaster Print In Place
Free
CUTE FLEXI PRINT-IN-PLACE FISH - keychain
Free
Surprise Egg #1 - Tiny Haul Truck
Free
Lazy Cat
€3.75
Flexi Print-In-Place Scorpion
€1.83
Fidget Gears Revolving V2 (Print In Place!)
Free
Surprise Egg #3 - Tiny Wheel Loader Toy
Free
Skeletonized V-Twin!
Free
Surprise Egg #7 - Tiny Car Carrier
Free
Surprise Egg #5 - Tiny Fire Truck
Free
Lazy Dogs
€4. 69
Print in Place Locking box - No Assembly!
Free
Articulated Fish Print in Place
Free
Surprise Egg #2 - Tiny Fork Lift
Free
Hinged Calibration Cube
Free
SCARAB 4WD Buggy - Print In Place
Free
Predator Action Pliers Mk2
Free
Surprise Egg #8 - Tiny Racecar
Free
Print in Place Allen Key Holder Inspired by Wiha
Free
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Caterpillar
€1.83
flexi zombie animals
CUTE FLEXI PRINT-IN-PLACE CROCODILE
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Frog
Articulated Dragon
Here is our selection of the best Print-in-Place no support STL files, all of these beautiful creations are from the Cults 3D file library and are printable in 3D without print media. This means that these creations are usable right after 3D printing, they will be articulated or flexible and you won't even have to remove print supports.
All designers specializing in 3D printing have this desire: create files that are simple to print and very pretty or practical. This has led to the trend of "Print-in-Place no support " with files that print easily without having to add print media. They print in one go and in place on the printing plate. It's like magic since the file is usable very quickly and it removes the often tedious step of removing the 3D print media.
Print-in-Place" files often contain little surprises. For example, they can be articulated directly after printing, or flexible or even hide clever mechanisms. In any case, it is thanks to this type of beautiful and technical creations that 3D printing will gain its credentials. The days of poor quality 3D files that print very badly and are not suitable for 3D printing are over!
Top 10 Best 3D Printed Articulated Figures
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3D printing is capable of producing geometries that would otherwise have been impossible to make using other manufacturing methods. One of the best examples of this is the 3D printing of articulated figures. These are figures that have moving parts but are printed in place and as just a single piece – no assembly required.
Printing articulated figures is incredibly fun because they are so unique as products of 3D printing. There are lots of free models of them out there. Check out this list of your favorites.
The articulated Eastern-style dragon probably is not the first articulated model to be made, but it seems to be the most popular one right now. The dragon is made of several segments that provide a wide range of motion but are permanently affixed to each other. The model also looks amazing with its detailed dragon scales and spectacular dragon head.
The articulated dragon is quite complex, so it may not be the best option for your first articulated 3D print. However, we’re putting this ahead of the list as something that you can aspire to. Having this lying around the house makes for a great conversation piece and will open your friend’s eyes to how impressive 3D printed projects can be.
Here’s a take on an articulated dragon that is a little less daunting. This dragon has a body, tail, and wings that are articulated and have a little flex. The range of motion of each part is limited, and the print is not completely print-in-place, but it’s a good start.
The Flexi-dragon is printed in four separate pieces but was designed to be assembled with no adhesives. Each part is made of several segments that are connected but provide a range of hinged motion. The result is a pretty nice toy that kids can play with or can make a good display piece. While not entirely impressive, the Flexi-dragon is a good exercise for beginners in 3D printing.
Sharks are intimidating when you encounter them in open water, but they are downright adorable in this particular case. This articulated shark is made from a fairly simple model made with just a few connected parts. The touch of genius here is in how the 3D-printed model moves in a way that simulates the swimming motion of real sharks. It even has a jaw that opens and closes!
As 3D printed objects are pretty light, these make the perfect toys for the bath or a swimming pool. If you have kids, this articulated shark can make a great companion to the usual rubber ducks.
There are dozens of octopus models out there that have flexible tentacles, but not all of them are print-in-place. This is one of the better examples where minimal assembly is involved. To be clear, the tentacles are print-in-place but the body of the octopus has to be printed separately.
Just like the articulated shark, this articulated octopus will make an excellent addition to a kid’s collection of bath toys.
Who doesn’t love Christmas toys? This set of three models is based on beloved Christmas figures and characters. Each figure has a moving head, arms, and legs. All of them are print-in-place and require no assembly.
These figures make for great gifts during the holiday season. Since they are so easy to print, you can print up about half a dozen of them at a time. The dwarves and reindeer are perfect for painting so you can add a bit of your creative flair to them before you give them as gifts. The moving parts may be simple, but they should be entertaining enough for a kid.
Large dinosaurs are cool, but an argument can be made for the smaller but more agile velociraptors. You can bring this coolness factor to an entirely new dimension with this articulated Flexi-raptor model. The design principle of this is similar to the articulated shark and the Flexi-Rex, but there’s something uniquely cool about the mobility of raptors.
The Flexi-raptor model has an articulated neck, body, and tail. The protruding claws also make them perfect for hanging at odd places around the house. These can add a prehistoric flair to your cabinets, shelves, patio, and practically every single protruding ledge. They can also stand upright without support – a testament to how well this model was designed.
If we’re making articulated 3D printed versions of animals, then we should not leave the snake out. This snake is made of more than two dozen segments, allowing for a great degree of movement and flexibility. This is great as a fidget toy, a display piece, a gift, or just something cool to have lying around the house.
It’s also incredibly cool just watching this get 3D printed. The articulated snake model has the snake coiled around on a circle on top of your print bed. It’s also very satisfying picking up the finished print and breaking apart the segments so that they can move. This might just become one of your favorite 3D printing projects.
The Scarab 4WD Buggy is different than all the other projects on this list. Instead of moving arms or a flexible body, this buggy features a set of four wheels and interlocking gears that rotate in perfect sync with each other. What’s even more impressive is that this buggy requires no assembly or supports and is 100% print-in-place.
The buggy may seem like a simple toy, but the design is so ingenious that you can consider it a showcase of what 3D printing can do. It’s also fun to just play around with. Anyone who’s into 3D printing will surely appreciate how well-designed and executed this project is.
How about a super-sized articulated 3D print? This articulated skeleton breaks the rule of this list as it’s simply too big to be printed in place. It is made of several different parts that are put together and mimic the range of motion of an actual human skeleton.
This is an incredibly fun project that you can work on with your kids. Aside from a good 3D printing project, it can also provide a basic anatomy lesson. These skeletons make excellent lawn ornaments for Halloween. You can print a couple of sets of these skeletons and have them interact with each other in funny and creepy ways.
The Flexi-Rex is basically the poster boy of 3D printed articulated prints. It is a cartoony T. Rex figure composed of 11 segments that are connected to each other. One of the simpler articulated models, the Flexi-Rex is the perfect entry-level model for articulated 3D printing.
As with most of the models in this list, the Flexi-Rex requires no assembly and is completely printed in place. The Flexi-Rex has been around for so long that almost anyone who has dabbled in 3D printing has probably already printed one by now. If you’re still a beginner, then this is one of the essential entry-level 3D printing models that you should try at some point.
The Flexi-Rex may be simple, but it has paved the way for many of the more complex articulated prints that you can see online and we have included them in this list.
Final thoughts
There’s something uniquely satisfying about printing interconnected parts together as a single piece. This is a technique that is only possible through 3D printing. Articulated print-in-place models serve as the perfect showcase for the capabilities of 3D printing and are usually quite impressive.
The models we have included in this list are those that we have found to be particularly impressive or fun to print. Almost all of them look like toys, but one cannot deny that there is some incredible talent that went into these designs. We suggest that you keep these models in your bookmarks to pull out on days when you’re feeling up to a fun challenge for your 3D printer.
Warning; 3D printers should never be left unattended. They can pose a firesafety hazard.
💯 Best Unsupported STL Model Files for 3D Printing・Cults
💯 Best Unsupported Model STL Files for 3D Printing
Download Print in Place 3D Object Files Without Support
Large A trend in 3D printing for several years, "Print-in-Place" or unsupported in-place printing, has revolutionized 3D modeling for 3D printing. Indeed, 3D files are now easily printed without support and can be used and sometimes even articulated when printed. nine0007
SPRING BOX FOR FIELD PRINTING
Free
Articulated dragon
3.75 €
flexible turtle
Free
Field Print Engine Benchmark
Free
Cute mini octopus
Free
flexible puppy
Free
Articulated lizard v2
Free
flexible mammoth
free
Articulated Shark
Free
PRINT-IN-PLACE PHONE HOLDER - FOR SPACE?! nine0009
Free
flexible bear
free
Print-in-Site - Distance Measuring Roll Tool
Free
Predator Action Pliers
Free
FLEXI BEETLE
Free
nine0008 Cute frog with flexi print1,83 €
Cute skeleton with flexi print
2,77 €
CUTE CROCODILE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINT IN PLACE
2,77 €
Print In Place PCB-Holder / Gripper
Free
Flexi PRINT-IN-PLACE Hand
1. 83 €
flexible zombie animals
free
Jet Fighter with print stand and articulation
Free
Flexi-print "Fish"
1,83 €
Folding sword - Épée dépliable - Unsupported / Printed in place Version 1
Free
nine0008 Cute turtle with flexi print1,83 €
Cute Flexi Print-in-Place Ant
1.83 €
Surprise Egg #4 - Tiny Excavator
Free
Cute spider with flexi print
1,83 €
Flexi Print-in-Place llamacorn
1.83 €
SD Card Toaster Print-on-Site
Free
CUTE FLEXI PRINT-IN-PLACE FISH - keychain
Free
Surprise Egg #1 - Tiny Truck
Free
Lazy Cat
3,75 €
nine0008 Scorpion with flexi print1,83 €
Fidget Gears Revolving V2 (printed in place!)
Free
Surprise Egg #3 - Tiny Wheel Loader Toy
Free
Skeletonized V-Twin!
Free
Surprise Egg #7 - Tiny Car Transporter
Free
Surprise Egg #5 - Tiny Fire Truck
Free
Lazy Dogs
€4. 69
Seal-in-place Fixing box - no assembly required!
Free
Articulated Fish Print in Place
Free
nine0008 Surprise Egg #2 - Tiny ForkliftFree
Swing-out calibration cube
Free of charge
SCARAB 4WD Buggy - Print In Place
Free
Predator Action Pliers Mk2
Free
Surprise Egg #8 - Tiny Racecar
Free
Print in Place Allen Key Holder Inspired by Wiha
Free
Cute caterpillar with flexi print in place
1.83 €
flexible zombie animals
CUTE CROCODILE WITH FLEXIBLE PRINT IN SITE
Cute frog with flexi print
Articulated Dragon
Here is our selection of best STL files without print support in space. They are all beautiful creations from the Cults 3D file library and are 3D printable without media . This means these creations can be used straight out of 3D printing, are articulated or flexible, and you don't even have to remove the print supports.
All 3D printing designers have this wish: create files that are easy to print and very beautiful or practical . This has led to the trend "Print-in-Place no support" with files that are easy to print without the need to add print media. They print in one pass and on the spot on plate . It's like magic as the file can be used very quickly and it eliminates the often tedious step of removing 3D print media**.
Print-in-Place files often contain little surprises. For example, they might be articulated directly after printing, flexible or even hide smart mechanisms . In any case, it is through such beautiful and technical creations that 3D printing will gain its credibility. The days of low quality 3D files that print very poorly and are not suitable for 3D printing are over !
3D printed mesh fabric
Prologue
Hello everyone! I am developing "smart sequins" - electromechanical color-reproducing devices for designer clothes. Our team is passionate about the idea of creating clothes and accessories that can change their color at the request of the owner or depending on environmental conditions. nine0007
In this article I want to talk about how we used 3D printing in our project, share our experience and tools.
3D printing on fabric
One of the tasks that I had to solve was to figure out how to make an elastic fabric out of plastic sequins, which in its properties would resemble textile materials. At the same time, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of easily creating electrical connections between the sequins.
There are quite a few articles and materials about making clothes on a 3D printer. Many different methods have already been invented, from creating hinges right in the printing process to printing with elastic plastics. nine0007
While looking for a solution, I came across this video. From it, I first learned about the method of printing on mesh fabric using a conventional FDM 3D printer.
The author himself claims that he spied the idea here: Shorey Designs.
The essence of the method is very simple. We create a 3D model of a fragment of the future canvas, then arrange a lot of fragments so that we get a whole canvas. We start the slicer and prepare the G-code. Before sending it to the printer, you need to insert a pause and raise the extruder before printing a certain layer. The printer will stop during operation. At this point, we cover the printed layers with a mesh cloth. We continue to print. Due to the presence of large holes in the fabric, the layers of plastic will interlock with each other, as in conventional printing, and the mesh fabric will be firmly integrated into the parts. nine0007
Modify G-code
I use Cura version 3.2.1 as a slicer. 3D printer - homemade H-bot controlled by a board based on ATmega2560 (RAMPS 1.4) with Marlin firmware.
To pause the printer, there is an M25 command. Command for lifting in Z by 20mm: G0 Z20. It is noteworthy that the M25 must go before the ascent, otherwise the next command is processed first. Why this happens is a mystery to me, apparently somehow connected with the processing of commands by the printer. nine0007
Add commands to G-code:
Operation automation
Manually searching for the required line in the G-code file and inserting commands is not the most modern solution, I thought and wrote a simple program that allows you to open and view toolpaths.
For the convenience of viewing the layers, the “explode” command is provided, which allows you to visually increase the distance between the layers of the model. After pressing the "insert pause" button, the distance between the marked layer (red) and the previous one increases. This means that the print will be interrupted precisely between these layers. nine0007
To understand where one layer ends and the next begins, I used the comments that Cura kindly provides in its output files. The keyword ";LAYER:X" allows you to accurately find the boundaries of layers in a text file.
Pressing the "write file" button allows you to save the modified G-code in the specified location.
Save the file to the SD card and bring it to the printer.
It's funny that only when preparing this article, I came across a video in which they tell how you can do the same thing using standard Cura tools ... But the process is already running, it's too late to slow down! nine0291 Here, starting at 7:30, it is described in detail how to do it. Well ... hurry up - learn how to parse G-code!
Trying to print
Formation of the first layers. We print on glass. Heated table. Table temperature 60⁰С, printing temperature 220⁰С. The print material is PLA plastic. Layer height 0.2mm.
During the pause, lay down the fabric and fix with magnets. Since the table is aluminum (paramagnetic), we put the magnets on the top and bottom sides of the table. Fixation is made in 4 places, in the corners of the part. This is quite enough. The main thing is not to place them too close to the print area, otherwise the magnets will stick to the print head. nine0007
After 40 minutes, this is the structure. The thickness of each 6 carbon element is 1mm. The gap between the elements is 2mm.
In this experiment, tulle was used as the backing fabric. It is a lightweight mesh fabric of medium stiffness, woven from polyester threads.
Experiments have also been made with mosquito net printing. In the hardware store, there were two types of them: fabric and fiberglass. Fabric mesh is softer than tulle, but has greater mechanical tensile strength, as well as less elasticity. The fiberglass mesh is harder than tulle, its mechanical strength is the highest of all participants in the experiment. nine0007
Hexagonal sequin printing on fiberglass mosquito net. The gap between the elements is 1mm. The matrix is very hard. Clearance is clearly not enough.
Round sequin printing on fiberglass mosquito net. The gap between the circles is 2mm. It has a lot of flexibility, but there is too much unfilled space between the sequins.
After several test prints, the fabric mesh was chosen. She formed the basis of the matrix of smart sequins. The resulting matrix can bend in all directions. nine0007
The video demonstrates the operation of the program, the printing process and the final result.
Conclusion
The method of printing on mesh fabric proved to be very good. This is an ideal solution for our task, because the fabric substrate allows us to weave conductive threads into it, which are used to provide electrical connection between the individual sequins of the matrix.