Parametric quick release buckles

Parametric Quick Release Buckles

Project developed by User:amcmichael

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Abstract

Buckles are very useful and found on a wide variety of items; however, if one breaks, it is hard to find a cheap replacement. Since buckle sizes vary depending on the application, I made a fully parametric OpenSCAD design. There are several other buckle designs available, but none of them can be scaled easily; many of the designs found only provide STL files.

Bill of Materials

1. Filament (amount depends on size of buckle)
2. Design files (OpenSCAD and STL): | Youmagine Link

Tools needed for fabrication of the OSAT

1. MOST Delta RepRap or similar RepRap 3-D printer

Skills and Knowledge Necessary to Make the OSAT

• Knowledge of OpenSCAD is needed to manipulate the parametric settings in order to customize the buckle (such as changing the buckle width in the code to match application).

Technical Specifications and Assembly Instructions

1. Print Settings
   1. Male Buckle: 30% infill, 0.2mm layer height, 60mm/s print speed, print with prongs flat on bed. No support needed. Print at 210 degrees Celsius for PLA.
   2. Female Buckle: 30% infill, 0.2mm layer height, 60mm/s print speed, print flat on bed. Support recommended for the female casing; use Cura's "everywhere" support feature. Print at 210 degrees Celsius for PLA.

1. Print Times (Varies on size of buckle)
   1. Male Buckle: 23min
   2. Female Buckle: 27min
   3. Overall time: 50min

1. Assembly
   1. Estimated time: ~5-15min. This time accounts for removing supporting structure inside the female component and restitching fabric through the clips.

Common Problems and Solutions

• The female buckle can be made without supports; however, this results in a buckle that is easily susceptible to wear and tear. Using Cura's "Everywhere" support feature makes the buckle more robust.
• Make sure to take time to clear the female buckle of support material before trying to use it. Failure to do so will result in a hard to use buckle.

Cost savings

• Cost estimate uses the base STL files on Youmagine. Varying buckle sizes can result in different costs and savings due to the parametric nature of the project.

1. Total cost: $0.46 (20 grams PLA)
2. Commercial Part: $0.82 - $6 + S&H [1]
3. Minimum savings of $0.36 (43.9% savings)

References

• Used as inspiration for design. ^[1]
• Used as reference for OpenSCAD design. ^[2]