3D printed ABS replacement parts....

[X5-D-Sport]

You know ... all those annoying bits that snap off and fail over age & years...

For my X5, all 4 corners of the bumper supports to the body are broken... and damned expensive to get... and equally annoying to fit too...

So, I took the plunge & spent lots of ££££ on a Flashforge Dreamer 3D printer...
So far, it's printed some decent black ABS grille inserts that fit around some posh rectangular spot-lights that live in the grille below the headlamps & kidney grilles...
I also printed a couple of small boxes to house relays for my Upgraded HID power supplies... various small plastic bits to mount spotlights to, and also some custom parts for the interior which I will Carbon wrap to match the rest of the interior trim..

The main reason for getting this contraption was ... partly because I wanted a new toy, partly for prototyping stuff for my work... and also to replace the mountings that anchor the bumper moulding corners to the metal body - the ones that are in the wheel wells that look gappy where the bumpers meet the body !!

Any way, I tried 4 different printers before I found one worth having, and the Flashforge is excellent with easy design software...
The rule with these printers seems to be... Buy Cheap - Buy Twice, So after returning 4 hopless ones, I took the plunge & spent £795 on this one...

The next item on my wish list is a 3D Laser scanner... The one I want is currently about £350, but will get more accurate & refined during this year I'm sure.
Currently 3D scanners that have a little 6" motorised turntable are the best, but expensive... but even they leave voids in scanned objects...

I intend to create a file folder of printed parts for these x5 vehicles, that will include swirl filter covers, induction pipe adapters, MAF sensor housings & adapters to allow them to fit more aftermarket stuff, electrical cases for under-bonnet use that allow easy waterproofed cable galleries, interior parts that break, ie door handle parts, brackets, fixings, light housing fixings, various expensive OEM clips, elec window plastic parts that fail, bumper brackets, spotlight grilles.... custom exterior / interior trim parts...

for example... one of our bretherin wanted a drivers door switch panel moved to be more accessible.. this would be an easy job by printing an adapter plate to move the switch panel forwards & a little higher too !
and all these can be done in over 20 different colours incl matt/gloss silver/black/blue/reds etc & some metallic colours too... even wood effects...

The other excellent thing re bumper to body brackets etc, is that the parts can be made as beefy & rugged as needed.

Penny for your thoughts on this one.

Regards
Grant B

[X5Sport]

Lucky bug.....I er mean beggar!

Fantastic toys.  We've just bought some at work (no private jobs though  >:( )

I think we use some kind of projector scanner which puts light patterns on the 'target' and reads the reflection before moving the target on a turntable.  No idea how it works, but it looks very impressive (and most likely expensive!)

[X5-D-Sport]

Hi Richard, good to hear from you again.

Yeah... Lucky begger indeed....
I'm using up some funds I worked my butt off for from last year... and it was either a holiday or a device...

So I reasoned that the holiday would be gone & done in 5 days, or a gadget that I will have for many years, enjoy using, save me a packet & maybe even make a few shekkles from it too !!

To arrive at the right printer was totally F**k*ng nightmarish, as most of them a re rip-offs of Makerbot machines, done on a cheap CTC branded crappy Chinese build quality, that is sold under many fake brand names... front some outfit in Greenwich which simply rips the ££ from ebay customers & never supports the buyers...
I learned the hard way that "Flashforge" USA has an excellent support network... the engineer support team even speak English, not broken Chinese twaddle that makes no sense to man or beast.

Any way, I got a 3D printer that works well now - at last... a "Flashforge 3D Dreamer"
There is also a 100% Hackable Freeware web site called "Thingiverse" where users share their gizmo's and designs, and you can simply upload or download what you printed or wanted.
You can also adapt the down load designs to your own needs...

I'm also going to create a door mirror motor mounting, and rob the motor drive guts from another make of car that significantly cheaper to replace my knackered door mirror motor drives.
Nissan make a fab motor drive unit for power fold.... Better gearbox, better motors, quieter, more reliable etc... just have to create a mounting to allow the two parts to mate.

[X5Sport]

I couldn't tell who makes our ones, but we can print in plastic, nickel, stainless steel or titanium.....or so the experts tell me.

[shadrack]

i like the sound of the 3d printer, i know ive made a few tamiya model truck and people seem to be printing parts for them, but the fact you can design and re engineer parts sounds amazing, i may well look into getting something like that in the future, i thought that sort of thing would be far more expensive than you have said to be honest

[aladdin]

i work extensively with 3d printers and scanners, for what its worth any scanner lower than around 10k is general of little functional use, I've tried all of them, sense, kinect1 and 2, structure, xtion etc, they re god fun to play around with but u will struggle to get any usable parts and most use very similar technology.

The one to go for for some serious reverse engineering is the artec eva or spider, excellent devices and highly accurate but very pricey however hiring is possible. Whilst longer to process and somewhat more difficult to scan shiny parts etc one of the best methods of 3d scanning is actually the process of using photogrammetry to take pictures from 360 degrees and create a 3d scan. Try 123d catch and your iPhone as an ultra cheap entry into 3d scanning and progress onto a dslr camera and photoscan by agisoft for higher end polished results similar to a 5 figure laser scanner.

As far as the 3d printing goes there is some great resources for downloading already made parts that have been tried and tested by the community for free on thingiverse.com. Generally trying to print any very solid part or anything that will be subject to even slight heat, u will struggle with using pla or abs. I have used some of the copper based filament and whilst stronger it shatters and messes with ur machines nozzle, but many sites will print your model in a variety of materials including metal if ur 3d modelling skills are up to scratch. The desktop ones are great for printing handy little pieces for inside use, like ur relay boxes and i have actually printed functional cogs and bolts but they would never hold up to prolonged use. Anyways sorry for butting in with my 2pence but the forums helped me so thought i would chuck in my expertise. gd luck printing !

[X5-D-Sport]

Well... all good advice is gratefully recieved.

The 3D printer is working hard already.
I re-drew the bumper to body brackets... printed both Left & Right...
heated them in the hoise oven to a measured 145'C & they held integrity and survived a 500 Newton pull-test at Frozen & Heated.
admittedly they were gently flexible at 140 C, but proved they will be serviceable on the car.

The existing parts are re-enforced plastic... but are brittle, hence failure.

I borrowed a 3D turntable Scanner yesterday & scanned my reproduced part, then printed the scanned variant....
the scanner cost my friend £475 before Christmas, and has come down in price already due to competing devices & prices...

The scanner is mechanically simple, so Im presuming the value is in software development.
The scanned printed parts needed a little rework on the design forge, but saved a lot of work compared to creating a design feom scratch...

so far, printed fome body clips as above, light brackets, a piece of replacement tail gate inner trim and a few ods n ends from ThingiVerse webs site...
Fabulous device & will be investing in a desktop 3D scanner when the prices drop a little more

[cooa99]

X5-D-Sport Salisbury

you could be our go to guy if anyone on the forums needs 3d parts ..... at a profit of course

I did think about buying and hiring out 3D printers last year but was not sure how profitable the endeavor will be

[Sanj]

That's a brilliant idea and those bumper brackets are exactly what went on mine (after buying a brand new one)!

If you have some time, would love to see some pics of the parts you made.

[X5-D-Sport]

Hi Sanj... I just invested some more hard earned cash £££ into a small 3D scanner today.

it does all 3 Axis, X Y & Z.. seen a few examples of its scanning.. & at under £500,it looks fabbo.
Will scan objects up to 250mm tall & 200mm wide, & has an over head focussing scanner also that is just off centre to be able to see the object undercuts...
My tool of trial was to see what kinda mess a scanner makes of a coffee cup... as most mini scanners see the cup as a solid object... and not hollow & open at the top end..

It arrives in 2 days, will give a report soon.

I will find time to load the image translation package to my lappy to wiz some pics here.
This evening has been an exercise on printing better spool holders & filament guides for the Flash Forge printer...
Getting to grips with the 3D soft ware a bit at a time & should soon have some parts to show that I'm proud of, rather than the square block type items Im making to hone the skill so to speak.

[Richard137]

Sounds very useful, looking forward to seeing the results of your hard work.

[JF1980]

I have a reprap 3D printer - still tuning it but have made a few useful bits and pieces to use around the house.

Would be great to have a catalogue of X5 parts.  Have you uploaded the ones you've designed to Thingyverse?  How is the 3D scanner working out?

[X5-D-Sport]

Well, the 3d scanner was totally pants, and the scans were piss poor beyond recognition...
so that went back.
The Flash Forge printer is excellent.

My employers were totally impressed when I printed some prototype HGV brake component replica parts this week,
and I've been commissioned to BUILD a 600wide x 400deep & 500mm tall print area printer.
I sourced a hackable software set, and all the goodies, to make an Industrial size printer for under £800 incl the donor machine... such a machine would normally run into a fortune of well over £5,000...
it will be an interesting project.

I'm working on X5 list of parts, and done several so far.

[JF1980]

Should be fun.  Tuning my self built 300x300x300 Prusa i3 has been an experience - that's the only thing with non-commercial printers you need to put a lot of time in to the tuning and calibration.

Are you just printing in ABS or have you tried other filaments?

Shame about the 3D scanner it's a good idea.

[X5-D-Sport]

Re the 3D scanner... at work, i have access to a £60,000 scanner.
it scans brake callipers to 1.3 micron accuracy.. and can turn a scanned image into a CAD model in minutes.
I scanned some plastic trim parts of my X5, cos I was missing the opposite side... manages to create a mirror image part, render it  & fit it to the missing space on the car..

I want to make some Bump stops for my X5... like the ones on a Land Cruiser... where there is a 6"moulded block at the 2/3rds position on front & rear bumpers....

suggestion... if any one has a busted bumper to body trim plastic fixings for either front or rear for E53, can they post them to me...

My scans vanished some how, prob didnt save them properly..
I will get them  scanned & printed, make a whole bunch & can send them out at about £4 each incl post.
it wouldnt be impossible to make them so they are NOT handed, so a Left will also fit a Right..

Im drawing up other bits slowly, but my CAD design skills are not fabulous, so may get one of the CAD jockeys at work to wizz the drawings up quickly for me..
also want to print so decent grilles for the mini grille apertures under the Kidney Grilles, so the nee grilles are approx 1vm deep & wont break up.

Im printing Transluscent PET, Plastic &  ABS too...
each material has its own quirks & temperatire / Bed requirements... but its great fun making it all happen. Properly.

The Prusa i3 is a fab little printer for the ££money..., but only has one extruder.
I got the Flashforge Dreamer, as it has fan coolers, dual extruders, so it can print the material + a PVA washoutable support structure for a complex part.
However, in 3 months Ive only used the 2nd extruder once, so I would have been fine with the i3 in all reality & saved a whole bunch of money.