HowTo: 3D printing – Build a Y-distributor for a 125mm exhaust hose

While setting up the suction system for my soldering station and the chamber of my 3D printer, I was faced with the problem that I had to somehow split the suction nozzle of the suction system into two ways.

The aim was to be able to control both the branch to my soldering station and the one to the chamber of my 3D printer independently of each other. In addition, I had already introduced a few components in the articles Building a servo-controlled 125mm butterfly valve other building soldering smoke suction hose including funnel myself.

In order to be able to connect two butterfly valves to one of the intake ports of my suction system, I printed the Y-adapter below. Three 125mm hose connections can be brought together at this.

How this is set up and how it can be combined with the butterfly valves or the suction hose is described in the following article.


Safety instructions

I know the following hints are always a bit annoying and seem unnecessary. But unfortunately, many people who knew it "better" from carelessness lost their eyes, fingers or other things or hurt themselves. In comparison, a loss of data is almost not worth mentioning, but even these can be really annoying. Therefore, please take five minutes to read the safety instructions. Even the coolest project is worth no injury or other annoyance. https://www.nerdiy.de/en/sicherheitshinweise/

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Requirements

For the construction you have to master simple manual tasks.

Required tools:

Required material:

In the following list you will find all the parts you need to assemble.


Collect the parts you need

Before you can start building, you should first collect all the parts you need.

You need the following parts to assemble it.

  • 1x 3D printed Y distributor
  • 3x 3D printed flanges
  • 12x M3x12 countersunk head screw
  • 12x M3 nuts
  • approx. 2m foam tape approx. 5mm thick
  • 4x flange clamps
  • 4x M3x20 cylinder head screws
  • 4x M3 nut

Another view of the required parts

The STL files for printing can be found under the following link. If you get an error when importing into your slicer, you should download the complete repository. When downloading the individual STL file, GitHub often only provides the HTML file for previewing the STL file and not the STL file itself.

Information about printing: I printed all components with 30% infill and 5 perimeters made of PLA.


Mount the mounting ring on the base

In principle, the Y-distributor is only the basis for assembling the 3D printed flanges.

So that hoses can be connected to the Y-distributor …

… you first need the parts shown.

As shown the flange is with the help of the …

… M3x12 screw including M3 nut connected to the base.

To do this, each flange must be connected to the base using four M3x12 screws.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Just like the first flange, you now have to screw the remaining two flanges to the base.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.

Another view.


Assemble 3D printed butterfly valves

In the article Build a servo-controlled 125mm butterfly valve, I described how you can build butterfly valves that fit this system yourself.

If desired, these can then be connected to the Y-distributor and the individual branches controlled independently of one another.

For the further construction you need the following parts.

  • The prepared Y distributor
  • 1-2x butterfly valves
  • approx. 2m foam tape approx. 5mm thick
  • 4x flange clamps
  • 4x M3x20 cylinder head screws
  • 4x M3 nut

Another view of the required parts.

Another view of the required parts.

Now cut the appropriate length of the foam tape…

… and glue it to the inside of the flange clamp as shown.

Repeat this for the second flange clamp as well

For the assembly of the butterfly valve you have to put the flange clamp around the flange as shown.

The prepared butterfly valve is then inserted into the first and second flange clamps as shown.

After the two flange clamps have been connected using the M3x20 cylinder head screw and the M3 nut …

… the butterfly valve should be fixed airtight but rotatably mounted in the flange clamps.

Another view of the Y distributor including the connected butterfly valve.

Another view of the Y distributor including the connected butterfly valve.

Now repeat this step again...

… with the second …

… butterfly valve to connect it to the Y distributor in the same way.

Another view of the Y distributor including two connected butterfly valves.


Fit another clamping ring

The prepared Y-distributor can now be mounted on the suction nozzle of the actual suction filter using two additional flange clamps.

To do this, mount the flange clamps on the flange as before (initially provisionally).

Another view.

Another view.


Connect the Y distributor to the extraction system

In the following gallery you will find a few pictures of an assembly example of how you can connect the Y-distributor to the extraction system.


Build a servo-operated 125mm butterfly valve

You can find information about the structure of the butterfly valve in the article

Below are a few videos and photos of the construction of the butterfly valve.

Simple function test.
Structure including Y distributor.
Example video on automation using a WiFi socket.


Build solder fume suction hose including funnel yourself

In the article 3D printing – build soldering fume suction hose including funnel yourself, I described a way of building a soldering suction hose from a few standard exhaust air hoses and a few 3D printed parts. All information and required materials can be found in the linked article.


Have fun with the project

I hope everything worked as described. If not or you have any other questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments. Also, ideas for new projects are always welcome. 🙂

P.S. Many of these projects - especially the hardware projects - cost a lot of time and money. Of course I do this because I enjoy it, but if you appreciate that I share this information with you, I would be happy about a small donation to the coffee box. 🙂

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