Folding Grow Pole/ Plant Trellis

Introducing… The Folding Grow Pole and Trellis, designed by your's truly!  

One of the biggest drawbacks of using 3D printed parts is the fact that they are anisotropic; they are weaker when force is applied across the layer lines of a print.  How do we solve this?  Short of trying to engineer a solution that produces perfectly welded layers, we must instead get creative in our approach to this design challenge!  

Although most common 3D printing polymers are quite rigid, when only a small cross-section is tested, they can actually be quite flexible; think of the skirts and purge lines made before every print.  One additional interesting feature of printed polymers is that they can actually withstand quite a bit of force when strained in a direction parallel to the layer lines.  With these two ideas in mind, I got to work.  

The concept of folding flat parts into 3D objects is not new and I was partially inspired by a concept I first saw demonstrated by Devin Montes from Make Anything in this video:

My design is essential just the 2D net of a hexagonal prism with holes cut into the faces designed for attaching all sorts of customized supports and decorations.  

How to use the Folding Grow Pole/ Plant Trellis:

This design is modular so as to allow the user to create a grow pole or trellis of whatever size they may need.  At each end of model, there are a set of 3 windows cut into the faces of the object.  These holes are designed to fit the pegs of not only the stakes used to secure the model in the growing medium, but also allow for connectors to attach a subsequent grow pole/ trellis to its downstairs neighbor.  Simply pop the pegs into the holes and they should hold securely. 

This model also features windows of hexagons at higher densities in every other larger hexagonal window.  "Why so many hexagons" you ask?  Because hexagons are the best-agons!  These denser nets are designed for the user to insert additional decorations or supports according to their need.  I have included a simple hook and the butterfly from the images as a start, but hopefully with the STEP files provided, you will be able to make all the add-ons your heart could desire!

Printing and Tolerances

This design does feature parts that require your machine to be able to reproduce geometries with high accuracy.  I have specifically undersized all of the connections with the idea that if parts can at least fit together, a dab of glue should hold them in the case that they cannot hold themselves.  

That being said, if you are still having trouble with parts not fitting together you can try a few solutions:

1. Consider lowering the extrusion multiplier or “Perimeter Extrusion Width” in places where two parts interface to add extra clearance.
2. Scale the inserts in your slicer of choice to increase the gap between walls.
3. Use some tape to take up extra room between walls and create a more snug fit.