M12 Screw & Nut

thingiverse

This is a simple exercise for creating a general purpose screw and nut. The screw is created with 5 different modules and the nut is created with 3 different modules. The intention is to give flexibility for users to change the length of the screw and the nut thickness for their own application. With different modules, the stl file for each module will be with smaller file size and less complexity such that user will be able to add on their drawing without overloading their 3D drawing programs during importing. The screw thread is not designed as conventional screw. The thread is 45° to horizontal axis. And the depth of the thread is 1/10 of the diameter of the screw. This 45° thread design is to make sure every 3D printer is able to print the screw thread without any support. Although some screw design is with screw thread 60° or 30° to horizontal axis, and claiming that no supports are required during printing. In actual printing, the screw thread with 60° or 30° to horizontal axis shows some issues. The size of the screw in these module files is M12 (i.e. screw with 12 mm outside diameter, nuts with a bit bigger diameter 12.6 mm to give free space for the screw to turn in with less friction). Certainly, the stl modules could be resized in any 3D drawing program in order to fit in the user's designed parts. I hope with these screw and nut module design, this will make other users applying screws and nuts more easily without the effort and time to build the screw from scratch.