Using 3D technologies to design the elements of analytical equipment and its maintenance

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate the possibility of manufacturing individual spare parts, consumables and tools for analytical equipment by stereolithographic 3D printing. Material and methods. The photopolymer printer Anycubic Photon was chosen as a 3D printer to ensure high accuracy and durability of the printed models. To create, refine and print the models, Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD program, Meshmixer editor program and Photon Workshop slicer program were used. For printing we used universal resins Anycubic Basic and Voxelab Standard Photopolymer Resin, urethane-acrylate resin eSUN Hard-Tough Resin with increased toughness and flexible urethane-acrylate resin eSUN eResin-Flex. Results. Development and printing of objects passed the following stages: creation of three-dimensional digital model of the object using CAD-softwares; export of the created 3D model in STL-format, and its revision in editor software; choice of printing method and materials; creation of a set of instructions for 3D printer in slicer software, the selection of printing conditions; preparation of 3D printer for work; post-processing of the product. Chromatograph fittings installation tool, covers with inserts for the mobile phase tank, 10-32 and ¼-28 threaded syringe-capillary adapters, glass filter adapters, mobile phase filters, chromatography column plugs, syringe plugs, adapters for measuring pressure in low pressure gas lines, tool for installing high-voltage wires of the capillary electrophoresis system were printed using additive technologies. Conclusions. Digital models were developed and spare parts and consumables for various analytical equipment were printed. The surface structure of the obtained samples was smooth enough to ensure tightness of the joints and did not require post-processing. At the same time, it was found that in contact with methanol and acetonitrile, in products made of the used plastics quickly enough brittleness appeared or there was a noticeable swelling, making it difficult or impossible to use the printed products. This fact indicates the need for additional research on the properties of photopolymer resins before using the parts obtained from them in a particular analytical equipment