Velcro is ubiquitous thanks to its simple but ingenious way of working. Australian YouTuber Michael Laws from the “Teaching Tech” channel has taken on the concept of a 3D printable Velcro fastener in a new video. In the process, he tested and analyzed existing designs.
First, Laws explains the basic workings of Velcro, in which hooks and loops interlock. He then evaluated Velcro models from 3D printing model platform Printables. Printables ran a contest on 3D models for Velcro as recently as August. In Michael Laws’ testing, a fine design from MM Printing performed best.
When it came to materials, PETG turned out to be optimal. It offers the right balance of stiffness and flexibility. PLA was too brittle, TPU too elastic for good clamping performance. In tensile strength tests, the hook-and-loop fastener withstood an astonishing 10 kg before the joints failed.
Laws also presented an OpenSCAD parametric version of the Velcro. With this, it is possible to easily customize the geometry. The YouTuber concluded by discussing possible applications and showing how the models can be integrated into other designs.
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