Hey @3dprinters ,
I have designed, printed and tested some prototypes at the Space. I am now considering having them printed in metal (DMLS), as the PLA was not dealing well with the torque needed.
Question:
Is there a small batch (2!) printing service you recommend?
Bonus question:
Is there a material/strategy you would recommend trying before giving up and print them in metal?
P.S.
This is the very not complicated piece I printed. It is a tap handle replacement!
Thicken up the diameter surrounding the mounting hole, make it 4-5mm and set the print settings to like 8-12 perimeter layers. This should stop it from cracking open, but the plastic might still squish at the corners until its rounded.
If you’re going to order single tap from a metal printing service you’re gonna cry at the price 
. One offs going to be at least 80, if not hundreds. (You can look up metal printing on Pcbway or jlcpcb. Anything from Europe is going to be 300+; we’re really awful at manufacturing services.)
Would recommend reprinting or finding a replacement online. (I would be leaning towards replacement if it were me.)
Having ordered 3D printed metal parts before, +as Calin says you will cry at the price!
Maybe you get into the metal CNC at the space? Seems like a good part for it
Try 3d printing it in Nylon. Alternatively ask @metaltechs or perhaps CNC.
If you don’t need the clearance, you could simplify the part. It would increase the walls making it stronger in PLA and making it easier to manufacture. You could also laser cut, or CNC this from other materials.
Something like this where the hole goes all (or most of) the way through:
Might be worth getting a quote from 3D Systems in High Wycombe. Might still be expensive, but they used to offer reduced costs for a single printed part if you could wait for them to get a batch together.
They print in all sorts of metals.
Also, perhaps consider buying a new tap? It’s not as inventive creative or fun, but will likely be much cheaper and much less hassle. 8)
To answer your question more directly. PCB way will give you free no obligation quotes for 3D printing and CNC’ing various materials, you just need to upload your model.
what if try printing with polycarbonate and then press fit a metal insert?
As already mentioned…increase the diameter of the collar part and (depending on size) make the outer diameter 15 or 22mm to suit a compression olive for copper pipe. Print in PETG @ 100% Fill. Then press on the olive, which will stop it splitting. 100% fill will stop the tap part distorting the plastic within itself.Or if no olives, add decent 45 Degree buttresses and try that. Depending what it is (?an irreplaceable antique tap??) you can achieve a convincing metallic finish using a nickel electrical shielding spray. It stick very well (designed for shielding electronics in plastic boxes) and conducts well enough to electroplate the finished article.
Gareth
My advice is introduce a clamping system the failure happen due to the push fit approach who will work fine with metal but will be weak with softer material (beware metal printing material might not be sufficient)
Like other have said increase the thickness or use Hugo idea and add something similar to a hose clamp clamp systems around a tap to help at DuckDuckGo
I will most likely go down a similar road to this
Alternatively share you file (fusion or stl) and I can show you what I mean.
Good luck and happy tinkering
I would mill the component out of aluminium on the cnc in the makerspace. It shouldn’t be any problem.
Thank you all for the great input!
I re-designed and re-sliced the piece to include some of the suggestions. In particular, I added spaces and pause to include a metal insert. I will reprint and assess how/whre it distorts.
The additional clamp is also a great suggestion, as the piece -for context- would clamp on a manually-filed part of a cylindrical broken tap ending (that I usually open with a No.10 wrench).
P.S.
Just for fun, I also checked out the prices on PCB way. The eye-watering prices for two pieces were $49.60 for aluminum (AlSi10Mg) and for $94.49 for stainless steel (316L)!
Good setting to increase the wall number, little tips for strength Gyroid will be good for even surface pressure but less good at 15% on localized area even at higher infill it’s not that great for functional part from my experience. I’ll pick rectilinear pattern over 40% infill.
