It was recommended I check in here and it looks like this thread is as long as the F5 thread was back in the day, so that being said...Could someone help me understand where things are as of today looking at all these diy options and comparing them to the seos 24" or the JBL 2360 for horns that can cover 300-400hz on up to 20khz with drivers like the Celestion AXI2050 (I guess an oblate spheroid would be an option too but as far as I am aware, that would have to be handcrafted). Years ago (2013) I had a small 3d printing company but when it closed I got rid of everything but some linear rails and a large amount of 3mm filament (unfortunately everything went 1.75mm) so I am very familiar with the technology and abilities of it. It would seem to me that unless a large improvement has happened in modeling that these options for larger format horns and waveguides would still be the best available, has there been that much of a change in what we can do that it would be worth diving back into the 3d printing and modeling relm, and if so which current model or concepts would fit?
Within this thread, what I can see is how this technology has opened up the door for affordable multi driver point source options as once one has a large enough printer something like that could be printed out in one or two pieces and cover the same range in a much smaller design. With what I'm looking at the only thing I would try myself at this moment, maybe, would be adding tweeters to the throat of a JBL 2360 with a different driver to cover the top end vs. buying a really expensive driver as I may get the same performance or better that way (at the added expense of the tweeters and caps).
Any update over the past 10 years would be great.
Within this thread, what I can see is how this technology has opened up the door for affordable multi driver point source options as once one has a large enough printer something like that could be printed out in one or two pieces and cover the same range in a much smaller design. With what I'm looking at the only thing I would try myself at this moment, maybe, would be adding tweeters to the throat of a JBL 2360 with a different driver to cover the top end vs. buying a really expensive driver as I may get the same performance or better that way (at the added expense of the tweeters and caps).
Any update over the past 10 years would be great.
Yes, things have changed, you can now print your PA with sub on a giant 3D-printer, just ask this Dutch company:
https://instagram.com/additaudio
(featuring @weltersys’s SynTripP and a recent ath-powered waveguide club PA)
But here, everyone is still using simple desktop consumer machines.
https://instagram.com/additaudio
(featuring @weltersys’s SynTripP and a recent ath-powered waveguide club PA)
But here, everyone is still using simple desktop consumer machines.
Regarding 3D print filaments I have seen several suggested in this thread (Pla-Meta, PLA-GF, TPU-65D). Has anyone compared the three? Its seems to me that PLA-GF be the opposite of the TPU-65, as the fibers would add stiffness. Intuitively, semi hard TPU should be less prone to resonance than most others, except maybe the ones with wood/cork/etc...
In other threads I have seen PLA-wood, PLA-CF and PLA with metal content suggested . TPU seems to be available for me from bavaria filaments (are there others in Germany or nearby?). Colorfabb has some interesting filaments, like the ones mixed with stone, metal, and "vibers" (elephant grass). Their lightweight and heat resistant PLA seems interesting too.
I have used PLA-meta (still available in Germany from AMZN), PLA+ and standard PLA, but I have not started printing my planned horns. Pla+ seems to be very strong (I printed some CNC parts with 75% infill and they are very strong). I observed some tendency to separate from bed and I got some wrapping too, but excellent surface quality. With Pla-Meta I have has good results, but I could try and print at a slightly lower temp. I do find it a bit too shiny...
Has your experience shown that it is preferable to use the printers to print moulds instead of usable horns? My interest has been to print the final horns, and therefore my questions regarding the appropriate materials. If printing final parts and using epoxy fill, is the filament type still critical for vibration control?
Finally, other than speed, would there be any reason to prefer for example a 0.6 or 0.8mm print nozzle to a 0.4? I don't have yet a hardened steel nozzle for my P1P printer, and I will be ordering one.
In other threads I have seen PLA-wood, PLA-CF and PLA with metal content suggested . TPU seems to be available for me from bavaria filaments (are there others in Germany or nearby?). Colorfabb has some interesting filaments, like the ones mixed with stone, metal, and "vibers" (elephant grass). Their lightweight and heat resistant PLA seems interesting too.
I have used PLA-meta (still available in Germany from AMZN), PLA+ and standard PLA, but I have not started printing my planned horns. Pla+ seems to be very strong (I printed some CNC parts with 75% infill and they are very strong). I observed some tendency to separate from bed and I got some wrapping too, but excellent surface quality. With Pla-Meta I have has good results, but I could try and print at a slightly lower temp. I do find it a bit too shiny...
Has your experience shown that it is preferable to use the printers to print moulds instead of usable horns? My interest has been to print the final horns, and therefore my questions regarding the appropriate materials. If printing final parts and using epoxy fill, is the filament type still critical for vibration control?
Finally, other than speed, would there be any reason to prefer for example a 0.6 or 0.8mm print nozzle to a 0.4? I don't have yet a hardened steel nozzle for my P1P printer, and I will be ordering one.
STEP files added: http://www.at-horns.eu/athex.html
I don't feel competent enough to advise anyone on 3d-printing, haven't tried a lot of different materials. I just found the PLA-Meta great for mold printing (easy to use and stable), but have no idea if there are even better options. I use 0.6mm nozzle solely for speed. For more detailed parts, I use 0.25mm on a different, smaller printer (not necessary for regular horns).
I don't feel competent enough to advise anyone on 3d-printing, haven't tried a lot of different materials. I just found the PLA-Meta great for mold printing (easy to use and stable), but have no idea if there are even better options. I use 0.6mm nozzle solely for speed. For more detailed parts, I use 0.25mm on a different, smaller printer (not necessary for regular horns).
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As for the Athex horns, I should point out that the 520-25 was actually designed for a 1.4" driver (Faital HF146 or similar) that has a 1" phase plug exit, i.e. to be used with an internal ring plug. For regular 1" drivers this waveguide is probably needlessly big.
Across the smaller and the larger diameter:
- Those who build RC planes could try it as a wood frame with ORACOVER coat foil
Across the smaller and the larger diameter:
- Those who build RC planes could try it as a wood frame with ORACOVER coat foil
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...and 3D previews: https://www.at-horns.eu/athex-preview-520-25.html
(Can be freely rotated with mouse.)
(Can be freely rotated with mouse.)
You seem to have achieved decent prints and used a few different printers from what I've seen. How do you find the Ender 5 (core XY)? What speed and acceleration settings do you print at?
Well, a substantial part of what makes a print successful is to design the objects to be easily printable in the first place... After a while you learn capabilities of your machine, so you can design things the way it can print them without problems.
From my experience a closed core XY printer seems really necessary to print large parts accurately. I have a modified Ender6 (Micro Swiss NG extruder) running Klipper (Creality Sonic Pad) but even a stock one worked fine for what I needed. I typically print at 80mm/s with 1000mm/s^2, but again, I haven't experimented much at all with this.
From my experience a closed core XY printer seems really necessary to print large parts accurately. I have a modified Ender6 (Micro Swiss NG extruder) running Klipper (Creality Sonic Pad) but even a stock one worked fine for what I needed. I typically print at 80mm/s with 1000mm/s^2, but again, I haven't experimented much at all with this.
I looked that up, nicely done. What I will never understand is the use of a strongly beaming horn in order to get to 300 Hz and then crossing the driver over at 500 Hz with a 24dB/oct filter. That's just beyond me.
- Do you still have the coordinates of the profile, BTW? I would love to try it.
- Do you still have the coordinates of the profile, BTW? I would love to try it.
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