While many innovators and inventors are trying to improve 3D printers in all respects, objectively speaking, the real advancement in 3D printing has taken place in the field of materials. In the past few years, we have seen a wide variety of novel materials in the field of desktop 3D printing, such as conductive wires, wood base materials, and even color-changing wires. In this area, a company called ProtoPlant and its Proto-pasta series of wires are on the front line.
ProtoPlant offers a wide range of specialty wires, from conductive PLA to carbon fiber, as well as stainless steel and even magnet composites.
Recently, a maker, who runs a website called LaserHacker, received a roll of Proto-pasta magnet PLA composite wire. The thing he has to do is to print a usable power transformer with this coil of wire 3D.
It is well known that transformers are devices that use the principle of electromagnetic induction to transfer energy between different circuits. Therefore, if the idea of ​​3D printing transformers is realized, it means that people are taking a direction toward 3D printed electronic products. Big step.
“The magnetic properties of this material are quite strong,†explains LaserHacker. “It has some very interesting properties. Although it is a ferromagnetic body, I found out during the test that it cannot be a strong electromagnet. I think this is Due to its low permeability, iron is dispersed throughout the PLA, and I believe that this prevents it from concentrating magnetic flux into a strong magnetic field."
Although this wire can't make an electromagnet, LaserHacker is trying to use this material to create a usable 3D printing transformer. He designed a coil and then tested its current consumption while the coil was hollow, then placed the coil in a 3D printed transformer and tested it again. In the process, LaserHacker can see if the 3D printed transformer really affects the efficiency of the coil.
Experiments have found that when a 3D printed transformer is wrapped around a coil, it does change the efficiency of the coil, and the current in the coil has a significant drop. However, LaserHacker reminds that if you want to conduct similar experiments, it is best not to add too much current, because this will heat it up, and may even melt the magnet PLA material.
“But this 3D wire is worth trying, it can be used to verify some new ideas,†he explained.
To illustrate the effect of the transformer in the test, LaserHacker used several bulbs, from LCD to ordinary incandescent bulbs, and even CFL bulbs. This proves that the 3D printing transformer can work quite well.
LaserHacker said that this is only the beginning for him, he will continue to use Proto-pasta wire for experiments, and in the near future, he will try to use the company's conductive PLA wire printing circuit.
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