New Headlight 3D Printing Material

[Z1.]

I am now able to 3D print headlight lenses with Somos Waterclear Ultra. The heat and UV issues of previous materials are gone. Printed lenses now has the same properties as OEM.

 

[long Tall Sally]

sounds great. lets see some photos. How where you able to get the outer edges tapered so they fit the frame properly. Also did you put In the diffuse for the little light? I was looking at making that a separate part and attaching it from the inside.

 

[Z1.]

I do not have any photos because I am not currently making any. I would need a customer with a damaged headlight first. The diffuser is part of the lens itself just like in the original lens.

 

[PLH]

I have a right side light with the other lens scratched. Is this what we are talking about? If so, how much to replace the lens?
Thanks, Phil

 

[Z1.]

Yes, We are talking about the outer lens which is where you scratch is. I personally would sand and polish it, if it's not cracked through. That's a nice headlight.

I can't give you quote i

f you did want the lens replaced,​

because the printing costs are always changing and I don't know if you are going to do some of the replacement work or you want me to the work.

 

[long Tall Sally]

I have a perfect light, No lens . You do the work and furnish the lens. How much and how long.

 

[Z1.]

Do you have the gasket under the lens that holds it in position? If not, add $400. Do you have the rubber strip that goes around the lens? If not, add $300. $1200 to $1900 to do the work. I've not worked with the new lens material before and it's the holiday season; three to five weeks.

 

[long Tall Sally]

well first there is no gasket holding the outer lens in position. . The outer lens is bonded to the outer reinforcement which is the greenish gray part that you see thru the lens . There is no rubber strip on the headlight it is butyl adhesive that bonds the outer reinforcement to the housing 10$ thru any parts store. . it is not nessasrary to remove either if you are installing just the outer lens. I thin k Iwill pass until yo uhave actually done a few to let you learn on someone else's lights. thanks for getting back If you can make a clear outer lens for 4-500$ I will be glad to buy a couple of each side.

 

[Z1.]

The first pic is of the outer lens gasket. It's very f*cking real and made out of a different plastic then the outer lens so it must be made in a second print which is costly. Then you have to use a special plastic glue and combine the two pieces. Very hard to get to look right and very f*cking hard to not make a costly mistake.

The second pic is of the rubber strip. Notice the many bends and shapes in it. It's very unique and very visible when the headlight is installed in the car. It's so unique that GM gave it it's own part number: 16530915. I dare you to get that rubber strip at some butt-hole parts store for 10 and it not look like a piece of sh*t let alone wrap around the headlight properly.

I do OEM equivalent, NOT bull**** theater.

 

[long Tall Sally]

The picture on the left is called a lens reinforcement by the people that manufacture them it is not a "lens gasket". It is a plastic part with a very high failure point. When heated enough to remove from the main housing the reinforcement will break into parts and will release from the outer lens. That is why it is necessary to install the outer lens to the reinforcement the same way the factory did . especially since you want OEM equivalent .the "rubber seal" you show on the right is indeed a seal. . And yes it would be hard to make but they are just glued to the headlight and almost never are damaged. I have maybe 50 of those if anyone needs them just ask. no problem. They shrink a bit over time and I remove them and apply a process that swells them back to proper size then reinstall. 20 minutes time tops. The headlight lens reinforcement on the left which from the factory is green/gray is bonded to the headlight main housing by the butyl kits that I said are 10$ and I am correct they are less than 10$. the outer lens is bonded to that reinforcement by a special process that you will never duplicate in a workshop. Even Gm's re- attempts performed at million dollar facilities failed miserably when they tried again in 2013 and cost them close to 20,000 recalled and trashed headlights. I do not need nor welcome your language. it kills any sort of professionalism you might try to portray I will continue to work on my lights that totally satisfy me and my customers. Good luck and I hope you are able to come up with something that benefits the community. I still am looking to buy the outer lens when /if you ever make any. all the other parts are already in full supply.

 

[richardyoo]

This is (unfortunately) the most unproductive thread about headlights - ever. Sad - because I wish we had a source for replacement headlights - instead we ended up with grown adults bickering about dumb details instead of working towards forward progress.

sigh.

 

[graytoad]

Well. As I see it: there is someone who is working on coming up with a solution to our parts/headlight problem and others asking questions and wanting answers. Not sure about an 'unproductive' thread. From what i understand, you just do not 'toss an item' in front of a scanner and ask a printer to reproduce it. It does involve 'trial and error' to come up with a truly viable product. Personally I am hoping this does come up with a satisfactory result! I applaud anyone who is working towards that same end and I am hoping that either of the members in this thread may produce the answer/product to that quest!

 

[DTPantera]

Actually the grey on the lens is injected at the time of manufacture. The mold is a 2 color injection mold, grey polycarb then the clear polycarb. The lens is then sent into a coating oven to paint the lens with UV protectant. Without the uv coating process you're lens would not last very long at all. Don't know about the uv protection of 3D printing. Of course the grey could be left off and would be much easier, just wouldn't look like the other side.

 

[long Tall Sally]

This is (unfortunately) the most unproductive thread about headlights - ever. Sad - because I wish we had a source for replacement headlights - instead we ended up with grown adults bickering about dumb details instead of working towards forward progress.

sigh.

some of us have been working on parts for these and actually have parts in stock for several years now. It would be great if someone could make an outer lens. The rest is all covered and readily available. On a good note there are 18 cars being totaled this week with good taillights and several headlights .as more cars do not get repaired and more parts enter the chain the prices will come down and making parts will not be needed

 

[long Tall Sally]

from what I was told and is listed on the headlight for recycle purposes the outer lens is pc. the housing is ppe the signal lens is also pc but the reinforcement is listed as PA.Thats off of an 04 .The bonding worked fine on 04 an 05 . It was in 06 when they changed to the articualting lens they did something that casued the outer to not bond and that caused a big recall. I have a uv coating that is used in eye wear for plastic glasses that has worked well for almost 20 years now. It Is pretty scratch resistant and u/v protected .I have been repairing Mercedes headlight since the 1990's with very good success. I found this expensive coating around 2000. I have tried about every wipe on product out there and have never found one that lasts more than 6 months and most less than that. I see cars I repaired many years ago still in town and most have stood up as well if not better than original. The inner reinforcement ring is not a problem. I have those and a manufacture in line color is close to oem. they can be bonded to PC. Its just the outer lens that we need. I welcome any one to spend the time and money that I have working on this problem. The taillights have several people with all sorts of repairs from 10$ to 600 so I do a few of those for friends and my own but I am leaving that to others. The prices are dropping and soon will be under 1000 I think for replacements as more and more cars get totaled and the need drops. Right now I am more interested in the suspension modules for 04 and 05 as they are rare and very expensive and no one can repair them.