ENGEL 1:20 miniature injection molding machine (e-mac 170-50)

Project video:

If you are an engineer, chances are you have a 3d-printer and are aware of injection molding machines, maybe even directly or indirectly working with them. So why not combine these two things?

What you get, is a miniature molding machine, that opens and closes the mold continuously after you flip a switch! It is powered by one AA battery and an R260 electric motor. Perfect to decorate your home or work desk, if you are into molding machines, or maybe as a good-bye gift for fellow colleagues who are retiring.

In true DeSteiner fashion, as always, you can expect:

• the whole model is designed solely for FDM 3d-printing
• it does not require any supports (with one exception, though the supports are already built into the model in that case)
• all parts are oriented correctly right out of the box
• it comes with an industrial explosion diagram and step-by-step assembly instructions with helpful tips and information. 

Why I designed this:

I love creating complex multi-part printable models that involve mechanical movement, and I was looking for a very special christmas present for my dad. He's been working in an injection molding department since I was a kid, and he would often even watch videos of ENGEL machines at home. He passed on this passion for technical stuff to me, so I eventually got an engineer myself and am working as a product engineer now, dealing a lot with molded plastic parts too. To combine his interests and his impact on my life with my hobby, I decided to design a miniature model of the most used molding machine at his company and gift it to him. After over two months of designing, printing and troubleshooting, christmas day was there and he was speechless, his eyes full of pride, so my time was well spent! But I didn't stop there. As always, I created a proper explosion diagram as well as step-by-step assembly instructions, so everyone can download my model for free and assemble it properly. While this is clearly a niche-model with probably only a few people understanding what it is, it is surely a great decoration for the home or work desk of this niche-audience, and definitely would also be an excellent good-bye gift for fellow colleagues entering retirement after years of working with injection molding machines.

If you printed this, please let me know what you are doing with your make (a gift for someone, or decoration? Maybe something entirely different?) and be sure to share your make with us!

If you like, you can tip me right here and get my life-long gratitude ;)

http://www.paypal.com/paypalme/tosteiner

Happy printing!

Yours,

DeSteiner