Design a Sensor Mount with FreeCAD and 3D Print with DMM.make
iotI decided to make a custom mount to fix an ultrasonic distance sensor to the edge of a tray for measuring water levels in hydroponics.
FreeCAD is an open-source CAD software.
First, draw a 2D shape with dimensions in the Sketcher Workbench. When you switch Workbenches, the displayed buttons change to those for that workbench. I found it easier to add lines while maintaining full constraints rather than combining rectangles. To make it easy to change dimensions later, I used parallel and equality constraints and kept value specifications to a minimum. It’s similar to the Auto Layout in Storyboard that I used for iOS development in the past.
Next, select the Sketch in the Part Design Workbench and create a body to build the 3D shape. After padding the entire shape, I individually padded areas with different heights and created holes with pockets.
Export in STL Mesh format for 3D printing.
When you upload 3D data to DMM.make, the model is checked and becomes available for ordering. The price is determined by the material and volume.
I ordered on 12/28 and it was shipped on 1/7. The dimensions were accurate, but I made the screw holes exactly the right size so they’re difficult to insert.
