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NASA Chainmail Fabric

NASA Chainmail Fabric

Small parts from £4 printed to order · UK postage from £2.95, free over £40 · usually dispatched within 2 working days
Arrives damaged? Free reprint, just film the box being opened. Returns policy
Free community design ♥ 6,819 likes ↓ 83,201 downloads
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About this print

A flexible chainmail fabric panel inspired by NASA's research into 3D printed space armour. The interlocking tile structure allows the panel to drape and fold like a conventional fabric, making it suitable as a display piece, costume component or a demonstration of advanced print techniques. The model is designed to print without supports. TPU is the recommended material, as its flexibility allows the links to move freely once printed.

From the original design page

Original maker's notes

By ConnorMPrints on Thingiverse · CC-BY

This is my attempt at recreating NASA's 3D printed chainmail fabric/armor. I could not find any STL files online that did not fail, so I made my own in Fusion 360! I hope that this can be a fun project for this community.

If you have not seen the article/video, check them out:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6816
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4bZIf3B3gc

Enjoy!

Formatting may have been simplified. These are the independent maker's instructions and fitment claims; Hark Tech has not independently verified them.

Printing NASA Chainmail Fabric

For NASA Chainmail Fabric we would normally reach for PLA — it is the easy, economical default and suits the majority of models. We set the layer height, wall count, infill and supports to suit the model and how you will use it, and those choices are already priced into your instant quote. Want a specific colour or material? Tell us and we will match it where we can.

Model details

Downloads at source83,201
Likes at source6,819
Original modelView on Thingiverse
DesignerConnorMPrints
LicenceCC-BY

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  • STL, STEP and 3MF
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  • Free Tracked 48 over £40
  • Printed in-house in Hampshire
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