SLW-20 SINE Wave Pump Fish & Anemone Guard | Design & Creation
SLW-20 SINE Wave Pump Fish & Anemone Guard | Design & Creation
This post documents the design and creation of an anemone guard for the SLW-20 wave pump by Jebao. Read more and watch the video below to see the process from start to finish.
Getting started on the SLW-20 Anemone Guard?
In one of the previous iSeaLive videos, I created an anemone guard for a Nero 3 wavemakers by Aquaillumination. After posting some of the images and the video I started getting requests to create a similar guard for other wave pumps. The most requested pump was the SLW SINE wave pump series by Jebao. More specifically from most to least the SLW-20, SLW-10, SLW-5, and SLW-30 were all requested.
If you would like to participate in the conversation & request something below are links to some of the forums and communities that I participate in. You are also welcome to submit a request directly on this website by clicking request on the top menu.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-do-you-need-3d-designed-printed-youtube-channel.790052/
https://www.reddit.com/user/Ocpondpoacher
SINE SLW-20 UnBoxing and First Impression
After unboxing the SLW-20 wave pump he was rather impressed by the simple yet durable design. This pump is similar to the Nero series by Aqua Illumination. I am not sure which came first and who copied who(?) but this is not a comparison of the 2 pumps.
The one major positive of the SINE design was that the plastic was thick and durable. In creating the Anemone guard for the Nero 3 I broke one of the little tables that hold on the front cover because it was so thin. On the SINE SLW-20 the 4 tabs are much thicker and design in a way that makes me confident that I will never break them. You can see the tabs that I am talking about in the video when I am creating the reference model.
I have not used this pump in the tank so this is not a review but just based on my first impression and its reviews on Amazon I am expecting this pump to work well and last a long time.
Creating the SLW-20 Reference Model
With the SINE Jebao pump in hand, I started creating the reference model in Fusion 360 that I will use to design the anemone guard around. This process is very simple as I am just tanking measurements and rebuilding the main structures of the pump in Fusion 360.
This is not a tutorial on the processes of creating reference models but overall I am trying to replicate the pump in 3d. I break the pump down into its largest parties then proceed to create each of them on their own. I start with the pump's main body and then move on to the impeller and finish up with the impeller front cover. With everything being circular I am mostly creating the profiles and revolving them around a central axis. You can see the entire process at 20x speed by watching the design and creation video.
Printing the SLW-20 Anemone Guard
3d printing is always my favorite part of the creation process because I get to see the results of work. However, this does not mean that it always goes right and the model works on the first try. Most of the time my first print goes right into the trash. This is typical because the fit is slightly off and needs some adjustment but other times it is because I make the print too complex and my printer failed to try to build it.
The SINE SLW-20 anemone guard took 3 prints to get right because the first 2 prints failed. The first print fell off the build plate early into the print. It appears that the supports broke and when unable to keep the model on the build plate. The second print failed because the build plate shifted late into the print. At first, it appeared like a good pint but after I got it off the build plate it had a clear shift right in the middle of the model.
Overall I did get lucky that this model only took 3 prints to get right because that is on the low end. I am currently working on some filtration baskets for a Fluval 13.5 and I am on print 5 and each print takes a day to complete.
Anemone Guard Fit and Function
This SLW-20 anemone & Fish guard fits like a glove. I did get lucky that the tolerances turned out to be perfect. The guard slides right on and fits nice and snugly.
I have not had a chance to test the function on the SLW-20 guard just yet but I am confident that it is going to perform very well. The Voronoi mesh should allow water to pass but is also narrow enough to keep mushroom and anemone to get sucked through and turned into Sushi
The SLW-20 Anemone Guard Final Details & Professional Print
After confirming that the design fits well I made some very minor adjustments to optimize the model for professional printing. If you order from iSeaLive.com (here) you will be receiving a professionally printed version of this model
The models are printed on an HP fusion jet commercial printer in a black Nylon 12(some other colors are available). This material is extremely strong and generally accepted as reef safe. It is important to note that nylon is reef safe and it is likely that nylon 12 is also safe as it is just a slight variation on the standard nylon formulation but no plastic is 100% guaranteed to be reef safe.
Where Can You Get the SINE SLW-20 Wave Pump Guard?
You can purchase the professionally printed version of the guard here at iSeaLive.com. It is really hard to beat the detail, unique finish, and quality of this model. Each purchase helps me to continue making new reef hobby things.
What's Next? The SLW 5, 10, & 30 are coming
These models take a good amount of time to create so if you need one of these other models please let me know ASAP. I am almost done with the SLW-5 and am planning on moving on to the SLW 10 next. If you have any ideas on some cool things I could make please let me know. Mark@iSeaLive.com