Project Scope
Design and build a 3D-printed dust collection cage and filter for a Bosch orbital sander whose original bag went missing and whose port fits no standard shop hose adapter.
Project Considerations
- Removable, washable dust bag
- Tight, locking seal with the existing dust port
- Filtering capability for small and medium particles
- Ergonomics and durability under handheld power tool vibration
Design Solution
- 3D-printed lattice cage, designed to print with no support material
- Two-stage fabric filter: cotton t-shirt layer, then finer-weave flannel layer
- Both fabrics sourced from a Goodwill scrap bin
- Oversized dimple lock relying on the flex of the printed plastic
Assembled Project
- Cage printed in PETG on a Bambu Lab P1S: 3 hours 5 minutes, 68 grams, under $1.50
- Filter bag patterned off the cage and sewn into a sock shape
- Secured in a groove molded into the cage
Project Summary
This was a Digital Manufacturing Challenge project I completed through the SME student chapter at Michigan Tech. A Bosch orbital sander had sat unused in the machine shop after its dust collection bag went missing, and its oval port fit none of the shop's standard hose adapters. We designed a 3D-printed cage with a two-stage cotton and flannel filter, sourcing both fabrics from a Goodwill scrap bin. During testing the filter captured the majority of the airborne dust, the bag pulled off clean for emptying, and it held tight through use while still coming off by hand. The sander went back into service in the shop.
