Stratasys F123 Series Print Head Storage Solutions: 3D Printing Hacks

Print heads (extrusion heads) for the Stratasys F123 Series 3D printers are easy to swap out and replace. If you order 3D printing supplies in bulk or for future use, you may find yourself storing them in a box on a shelf or in the drawer of the 3D printer. There has to be a better place, right? See what I came up with for print head storage in this 3D printing hack.

Utilizing SOLIDWORKS and the Stratasys F170

I started my model using SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software by reverse engineering the Stratasys print head.

With just a few basic measurements, I was able to model the basic, overall shape. The next step was to use a top down multibody modeling approach to create the rack. The top down approach allows you to reference geometry from one body to create the sketches and features for a second body without merging them.

In this case, I used the model of the print head to make a part that will accurately fit the real thing. With the rack body modeled, I saved it as an .stl file so that it can easily be shared.

Using GrabCAD Print for sharing, support, and strength

I used GrabCAD Print software to process the .stl file. I was able to explore different orientations to reduce the amount of support material needed and cut down on print time. The final orientation allows this part to be printed with strength to support the print head and reduce print time.

Finally I printed the parts on the Stratasys F170 3D printer in Black ASA material. The support configuration simply breaks away and there is no post process required. The printed parts hang on the inside of the bottom drawer of the F123 series and can hold up to seven print heads.

The finished product

This is a simple solution that took very little time to model in SOLIDWORKS, process in GrabCAD Print, and print on the Stratasys F170.

I hope you found this print head storage 3D printing hack helpful, to try it yourself, download the .stl file for printing here. Want to see more 3D printing hacks like these? Subscribe to our blog!