3D Printed Electrical Boxes?

[BB Sig]

3D Printed Box

I'm waiting for a 3D printer I ordered to arrive. I was looking through https://www.thingiverse.com and saw the above 3D printed electrical box. At first I was thinking what a great idea but then I got to thinking, "would it pass an inspection?" It might work for low voltage but high voltage...

What's your thoughts?

 

[purplezr2]

Why?
I would think it would cost more to print them, then to buy them?

 

[mike93lx]

why bother when they are so cheap and standardized?

 

[The Cobbler]

they wouldn't be certified, so I would say no to passing inspection
but having said that, I put in a pocket door many years ago for a friend, they wanted Lights switch right there. with only 1-1/4 thickness , there was no box available. I had some very low profile light switches that were take offs from another job. he cut down a box and welded the back back on, and he was in business.
code compliant>? nope. works? yup. safe? probably . and he did run conduit along the top of the 3/4 framing so it is drill resistant

 

[walta]

Be sure any box you make is large enough in terms of cubic inches for the size and number of conductors in this box.

My guess is approved boxes are made of flame restraint plastic something your 3D box is unlikely to be.

Walta

 

[sparky 1971]

It wouldn't have a UL listing on it but I doubt if any inspector would check or even notice that it wasn't what could be purchased. As stated earlier, plastic boxes are cheap. It would likely cost a lot more to print one versus just buying one at the local Home Depot.

 

[PhysicsDude]

3D printed parts are inferior to injection molded parts. It'll take your printer several hours to print that electrical box, and you'll find that its not as strong either, and will probably come out warped if you try to make the walls thick enough to be reasonably strong. 3D printed parts crack easily on the build layer since they're just several layers of plastic melted on top of each other rather than one continuous piece.

Anything that you can readily purchase at home depot is not worth 3d printing. The advantage of 3d printing is all the weird and wonderful custom made stuff from Thingiverse than you can print at home.

 

[Norcal]

3D Printed Box

I'm waiting for a 3D printer I ordered to arrive. I was looking through https://www.thingiverse.com and saw the above 3D printed electrical box. At first I was thinking what a great idea but then I got to thinking, "would it pass an inspection?" It might work for low voltage but high voltage...

What's your thoughts?

480 volts is considered low voltage as is anything 600 volts and less, but I prefer to call it “ line voltage” , while it would be a conversation piece to print a box, it would not be listed by a NRTL, nationally recognized testing laboratory such as UL or others, which is required, and by the time the printer made them you could go & buy them, mount them and start pulling wire.

 

[Gummi Bear]

they wouldn't be certified, so I would say no to passing inspection
but having said that, I put in a pocket door many years ago for a friend, they wanted Lights switch right there. with only 1-1/4 thickness , there was no box available. I had some very low profile light switches that were take offs from another job. he cut down a box and welded the back back on, and he was in business.
code compliant>? nope. works? yup. safe? probably . and he did run conduit along the top of the 3/4 framing so it is drill resistant

You are correct, around here (DFW) the inspector will look for UL or other Nationally Recognized Testifies Laboratory label on boxes.



For future reference, if you ever do another pocket door, look for “Despard” devices. They make mullion boxes to go with the devices. We use them from time to time.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Sounds like an expensive hobby

would be cheaper to buy them at the store

 

[BB Sig]

3D printing has come down in price for the "hobbyist" printers that are out right now. The materials are very cheap for one off items that no one prduces. Anything above 1000 would probably not make sense.

I searched a little and found this obviously biased piece about 3D printed electrical boxes. I'm guessing that one off enclosures might be a better use for a 3D printer...

https://www.slant3d.com/slant3d-blog/3d-printing-electrical-enclosures

Here's an interesting discussion on 3D printing Project Boxes.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/cost-3d-printed-enclosure-vs-project-box/

I don't think the process is ready for line voltage yet but for less than line voltage custom enclosures are where 3D printing is at right now.

 

[Norcal]

3D printing has come down in price for the "hobbyist" printers that are out right now. The materials are very cheap for one off items that no one prduces. Anything above 1000 would probably not make sense.

I searched a little and found this obviously biased piece about 3D printed electrical boxes. I'm guessing that one off enclosures might be a better use for a 3D printer...

https://www.slant3d.com/slant3d-blog/3d-printing-electrical-enclosures

Here's an interesting discussion on 3D printing Project Boxes.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/cost-3d-printed-enclosure-vs-project-box/

I don't think the process is ready for line voltage yet but for less than line voltage custom enclosures are where 3D printing is at right now.

A lot of the problem besides lack of a listing is how fire retardant the plastic is, some plastics will burn but not support a flame on its own, once the ignition source is removed the flame goes out, others burn like crazy.

 

[Norcal]

Neighbor printed wyes for his shop dust collection system which is fine but they do not require a listing from UL or other NRTL.

 

[APEowner]

I've 3D printed a bunch of electronics enclosures but I wouldn't do it for residential wiring only because of the UL listing requirement.

 

[ArcReactorKC]

I printed a couple of double gang nail on boxes a few years ago as I had the printer on site and the local big box was out. The inspector never even glanced twice at them. They were printed in ABS.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I've 3D printed a bunch of electronics enclosures but I wouldn't do it for residential wiring only because of the UL listing requirement.

There is no U/L listing requirement

The requirement is to be listed with an NRTL- nationally recognized testing laboratory. And U/L is just one of many...

 

[nadogail]

The economics of scale would keep me from trying to replace the mass produced Carlon boxes with my own handcrafted originals; but if I were deep in the boonies and needed 1 box to finish a job on time, the custom printed box might be economically viable.