3D Printed Inlet Duct

[El_bigote_AJ]

I looked that the aftermarket scoops, as well, and they’re unnecessarily expensive. Why no one makes a cheap plastic version is beyond me.
If I had the capital and buyer interest, I could design one for injection molding and they’d probably be ~$50.
The mold and startup costs would probably be $15-20k.

And there’s your answer why, it’s a part that would really on have a market in the $50-60 Range and even then it’s not an item you would fully see FLYING off the shelves.

Cool design and product for your personal use for sure though.

 

[gti_loki]

AJ, thanks!

I really didn’t post this with the intent to market it, it was really just, “Hey, look at this cool thing I made!”
Tinkering is my favorite thing about cars, even if it’s a small improvement, and especially if it’s something I can make myself. ...just need to buy a mandrel pipe bender and a good welder...

 

[vw671]

I looked that the aftermarket scoops, as well, and they’re unnecessarily expensive. Why no one makes a cheap plastic version is beyond me.
If I had the capital and buyer interest, I could design one for injection molding and they’d probably be ~$50.
The mold and startup costs would probably be $15-20k.

Don't forget even after the mold cost..runs are typically 500-1k minimum units go get cost down.

 

[gti_loki]

Don't forget even after the mold cost..runs are typically 500-1k minimum units go get cost down.

Yes! That was included in my estimate. I design/engineer, prototype, test and build consumer products for a living.
“Low cost”/prototype tooling keep the startup costs down but paying setup fees for lower quantities drive the price up, but I don’t have overhead for NRE so I can compensate because it’s just my spare time. What I don’t have is space in my garage for 500 ducts in boxes.
If they were ducks, there’s a creek in my back yard, but that seems crowded.

 

[DarkArrow]

Very cool and unique! Curious to see how it takes the heat.

I looked that the aftermarket scoops, as well, and they’re unnecessarily expensive. Why no one makes a cheap plastic version is beyond me.
If I had the capital and buyer interest, I could design one for injection molding and they’d probably be ~$50.
The mold and startup costs would probably be $15-20k.

Don't worry, ECS will take the design and make their own

 

[donefor]

Nice parts, gti_loki! With your experience, you seem like just the right person to ask - what printer/filament/software do you prefer for making parts of this size and tolerance? I'm just getting into printing and there are so many choices it'd take me months (years?) to try every one, so thought i'd ask a pro

 

[Andrewbens]

Very cool! Hopefully we can buy one of these one day

 

[Desslok]

Could you show a side by side photo of your scoop and the stock scoop?

 

[sloopercat]

Really nice work. I have been considering the block off they use for the diesel. Part of me wonders if VW did not use the block off plate because they wanted to have airflow into the engine bay on the gas models. I did open up the duct in front of the air box. It just seems that there may be enough volume of air already.

 

[GTI_Owner]

if you take a cross section of the smallest part of the stock duct, it’s significantly smaller than both the inlet and outlet.
In stock form, it’s unlikely the OEM duct is being taxed.

To use this part the driver's side is opened up. By doing that if the stock duct was used it would have the driver and passenger sides to draw air in from. It seems like this option is using less of the available intake area.

 

[GTI Jake]

AJ, thanks!

I really didn’t post this with the intent to market it, it was really just, “Hey, look at this cool thing I made!”
Tinkering is my favorite thing about cars, even if it’s a small improvement, and especially if it’s something I can make myself. ...just need to buy a mandrel pipe bender and a good welder...

There’s a significant difference between pipe and tubing, a mandrel bender for tubing (like roll cages) is $600-6,000.

A mandrel bender for thin wall tubing like exhaust that’ll produce acceptable quality for performance applications starts around $75,000.

Don’t let that stop you though, you can buy standard radius and degree bends to play with (cut the degree you want) and a good welder for under $2,000 to get started. Just takes practice.



upload images

I like the duct design! Injection molding is prohibitively expensive, but even if you sold the design to guys for 35-40 each who had the ability to print their own that might be an option as well

 

[gti_loki]

Nice parts, gti_loki! With your experience, you seem like just the right person to ask - what printer/filament/software do you prefer for making parts of this size and tolerance? I'm just getting into printing and there are so many choices it'd take me months (years?) to try every one, so thought i'd ask a pro

For large parts, Raise3D has some great printers. Especially when you consider the all metal hot ends that let you print at 300c for materials like polycarbonate and other HDTs. But ABS is probably the least finicky with good heat tolerance or a PA alloy like I used (Taulman 910). There is a lot of trial an error and wasted material so prepare yourself for frustration. But the maker community is excellent and a lot of people will bend over backward to help. I printed a test duct in cheap PLA to make sure my measurements were good and then moved onto the final part.
I’m a Solidworks user and have been for 12 years or so, but it’s cost prohibitive, so I generally recommend Onshape for modeling but I think their cost schedule has changed recently.
There a a ton of good slicers, but I generally just use Ideamaker.

 

[gti_loki]

Could you show a side by side photo of your scoop and the stock scoop?

As demonstrated by my absence, life is busy, but I’ll try to do this. I meant to when I was taking pictures before but was too excited to pause!

 

[gti_loki]

There’s a significant difference between pipe and tubing, a mandrel bender for tubing (like roll cages) is $600-6,000.

A mandrel bender for thin wall tubing like exhaust that’ll produce acceptable quality for performance applications starts around $75,000.

Don’t let that stop you though, you can buy standard radius and degree bends to play with (cut the degree you want) and a good welder for under $2,000 to get started. Just takes practice.



upload images

I like the duct design! Injection molding is prohibitively expensive, but even if you sold the design to guys for 35-40 each who had the ability to print their own that might be an option as well

Very lovely work! My comment was mostly a joke, I have too many things going on as is without adding making exhausts to it. But maybe some day.

 

[TheMechanicDude]

I like this. Priced out of my range but I really like the looks and even asked myself the same thing when I was modding mine with the blocking plate etc.

Nice Job Loki