Bellows Coupling for 3d Printing

grabcad

Little bellows coupling that can be 3d printed. Partly done to see if the printer could make a flexible part. I used a FDM machine with soluble support. (critically, as the coupling is full of air). Works best if the layers run along the axis. So printed on its side. The simulation seems to suggest that localised yielding will occur at the base of the bellows with that amount of deflection (deformation scale is 1:1). I can't see any visible indication of that happening on the real part. It's satisfyingly bendy.