[mman1506]

Originally Posted by EricH

If you don't have an STL file, you're not getting a printed wheel. You may mean SLS, a type of 3D printer.

But strength is a matter of material, and to some extent manufacturing method. I would say that a RepRap could produce a wheel that is strong enough for FRC, if the proper parameters were used in terms of fill amount and layers at the outside. RepRap-type printers' technical name is FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), BTW.


Lighter? YES. Take a block of PLA or ABS. Now take a block of aluminum the same size. The plastic should be lighter (unless you're Wile E. Coyote).

You may have a printer type that uses a cartridge, or a powder (SLS draws on powder with a laser). That's much more expensive, in and of itself. If your material isn't very good, it may be expired--or you might need to look into changing your source.

SLS my bad. Wouldn't you be able to use less material to make a aluminium wheel than a 3d printed one potentially making it lighter?