Problem Statement- Our project consists of creating a beer faucet using additive manufacturing. We will use this faucet in combination with two metal components to create a beer tap. The main obstacle to overcome in this project is to fine tune the additive manufacturing process in order to make the plastic part water tight. The other part of the 3D printed assembly will consist of creative nozzle attachments. We are doing this project because we have a passion for beer. We thought this would be a fun, challenging project that could improve the aesthetics (fully customizable) and cost of a tap system. While a plastic version of a currently metal part may decrease cost, if this version is successful metal 3D printing technologies might also work for this part.
Requirements
- 3D printed part must be water tight- this is thought to be the main initial issue, it is critical to part performance and due to the extrusion method being used our layers must come together very well (layer height of .1 mm should be a good starting point)
- Faucet and metal part assembly must seal (internally) so beer stops flowing when it is supposed to (internal measurements are critical and will be fine tuned in prototypes)
- Beer faucet must have working threads- our plan is to incorporate these into the models and print them (standard beer faucet is 1.125″-18)
- Attachment nozzles must have working threads to attach to the faucet- our plan is to incorporate these into the models and print them(we chose 3/4″-28 threads for this application)
- Analyze the metal version of the part and find its shortcomings- modify these in the model that is being created for production (improve manufacturability)
Ideas
- Create faucet similar to the current metal design (it needs to use the same internal metal components so there are certain critical dimensions)
- Use negative air gap to help ensure the part is water tight (when two beads partially occupy the same space, creates a more dense structure which will help with the water tight requirement)
- Create a bucky nozzle where the beer flows through the figure
- Create an attachment that will fill two beers at once
- Create an attachment similar to a turbotap for quick pouring
- Create an attachment that creates a cool looking flow(like a decorative waterfall)
Photo 1: Beer faucet-first 3D printed part to be created
Photo 2: whole tap assembly. Tap handle would screw into left side of the part seen above.
Photo 3: Assembly of the two components responsible for turning the tap on and off.
Photo 4: Exploded view of beer tap parts.
Photo 5: internal component (fully inside beer faucet). This part moves linearly to allow beer to flow. Rubber part at the top is a seal that stops beer from flowing when the tap is off.