Hi,
I don’t know how to print this part.
How would you print it?
Kind regards
ProApe
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Such a thin thing surely needs to have how it is loaded in consideration
Im assuming its loaded to hang something, resisting gravity, in the orientation you presented it,
I would print it in two pieces, and using the two highlighted planes as the bottom surface. +some sort of connector
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For maximum strength this part should be printed with the ring lying flat on the build plate, i.e. in the XY-plane. In this orientation the filament layers will follow the circular contour of the ring, which significantly increases its resistance to cracking under bending and tensile stress.
Even though this setup requires more support material for the upper mounting features, it ensures that the most critical load-bearing section – the ring itself – has continuous layer lines in the direction of the expected forces. If the ring were printed upright, the layer adhesion alone would carry the load, making it much more prone to delamination and fracture.
In short: by prioritizing layer orientation over support efficiency, the ring achieves its highest possible structural integrity, which is the decisive factor in this case.
Yes, two pieces are the best option to achieve optimal structural integrity in all load-bearing sections. While the joint itself can introduce a potential weak point, placing it in a non-critical area and reinforcing it properly will still result in a stronger overall part than printing the entire piece with unfavorable layer orientation.
Yeah, im imagining a barbed clip-thru thing like those automotive clips. As long as there is some clearance above to accomodate, it would be great.
Still would be nice to know how the part gets loaded, cuz it changes my answer lol
Obviously its clamping onto a cylinder, and orienting with some peg above… curious lol
Yes, the only clearly load-bearing part at the moment is the clamping ring. 
This is an interesting problem that I recently saw a YouTube video with a solution. I can’t find that video at the moment but the solution went like this.
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Take the object and place it on the bed at a 45 degree angle and slice.
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This will create layer lines that are 45 degrees offset allowing for compromise of stress lines versus orientation.
A Better way.
This is one of those applications that the dovetail feature was specifically designed for.
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Orient the part so the ring is perpendicular to with bed.
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Using the cut tool dovetail option cut the model.
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Then lie the objects flat.
Supports may be needed.
Then simply slide the two components together and use a dab of acrylic cement to weld the two pieces together.
You will likely have to experiment with the tolerances to get the pieces to slide correctly. I’d suggest practicing with a smaller cube primitive till you figure out what is the best tolerance, note what the values are and then try it on the real model.
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Hello,
Thank you very much for your interest and the many responses!
There are some interesting suggestions, but I had also already come to the conclusion that the best option would be to print in two parts, with a dovetail joint, or better still, with countersunk screws to eliminate any play.
So far, I have not been able to split the part in Onshape (alternative: redraw in two parts), nor have I been able to place a sketch inside the ring in order to draw the holes for the screws.
The purpose of the design: it is one of the parts that, when assembled, should allow a pen to be attached to the CNC milling machine.
The pen holder itself moves vertically via a slider that runs on a 55 mm long rail, and the pen is pressed onto the surface by a spring.
Have a nice day
ProApe
I also use OnShape for most of my 3D printing CAD work. I’ve created dovetail and interlocking tabs in OnShape before Orca introduced its dovetail feature, but once Orca made that easy, I stopped doing it in CAD.
That said, I’m trying to understand where you’re getting stuck in OnShape. When you say the following, what exactly do you mean?
What challenge are you facing when trying to split the part? How are you attempting it?
This part is also interesting. Are you trying to use the Hole feature, or are you manually sketching a circle and extruding it as a cut? Either approach works, so I’m trying to understand what’s causing the block.
Hello,
Finally it was very easy to split the difficult-to-print part into two; all you need to do is call up the Split tool and place a Mate connector parallel to the axis where you want to split. The part is much easier to print in two parts.
I was also able to “drill” the holes inside the ring for the screws to reconnect the two parts, which was also quite easy (if you know how to do it!): draw the holes on a sketch and project them onto the ring using Projected Curve, and that’s it.
Salve
ProApe
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