Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing

Journal article

Abolfazl Taherzadeh Fini, Cameron K. Brooks, Alessia Romani, Anthony G. Straatman, Joshua M. Pearce*
Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, vol. 9(2), 2025 Feb, p. 65

DOI: 10.3390/jmmp9020065

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Cite

APA Click to copy
Fini, A. T., Brooks, C. K., Romani, A., Straatman, A. G., & Pearce*, J. M. (2025). Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 9(2), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp9020065

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Fini, Abolfazl Taherzadeh, Cameron K. Brooks, Alessia Romani, Anthony G. Straatman, and Joshua M. Pearce*. “Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing.” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing 9, no. 2 (February 2025): 65.

MLA Click to copy
Fini, Abolfazl Taherzadeh, et al. “Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing.” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, vol. 9, no. 2, Feb. 2025, p. 65, doi:10.3390/jmmp9020065.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{abolfazl2025a,
  title = {Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing},
  year = {2025},
  month = feb,
  issue = {2},
  journal = {Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing},
  pages = {65},
  volume = {9},
  doi = {10.3390/jmmp9020065},
  author = {Fini, Abolfazl Taherzadeh and Brooks, Cameron K. and Romani, Alessia and Straatman, Anthony G. and Pearce*, Joshua M.},
  month_numeric = {2}
}

Abstract

The amount of non-revenue water, mostly due to leakage, is around 126 billion cubic meters annually worldwide. A more efficient wastewater management strategy would use a parametric design for on-demand, customized pipe fittings, following the principles of distributed manufacturing. To fulfill this need, this study introduces an open-source parametric design of a 3D-printable easy-connect pipe fitting that offers compatibility with different dimensions and materials of pipes available on the market. Custom pipe fittings were 3D printed using a RepRap-class fused filament 3D printer, with polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) as filament feedstocks for validation. The 3D-printed connectors underwent hydrostatic water pressure tests to ensure that they met the standards for residential, agricultural, and renewable energy production applications. All the printed parts passed numerous hydrostatic pressure tests. PETG couplings can tolerate up to 4.551 ± 0.138 MPa of hydrostatic pressure, which is eight times greater than the highest standard water pressure in the residential sector. Based on the economic analysis, the cost of 3D printing a pipe coupling is from three to seventeen times lower than purchasing a commercially available pipe fitting of a similar size. The new open-source couplings demonstrate particular potential for use in developing countries and remote areas. 1

Keywords

additive manufacturing // distributed manufacturing // fused filament fabrication (FFF) // sustainable development // design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) // water management systems

Media Coverage

Open-Source 3D Printed Pipe Fittings reduce Water Waste, New Study Argues published by 3D Printing Industry (Online news magazine). 2
Compression fitting (Wikipedia page). 3

Resources and links

📑 Full text (publisher version) 4
📝 Full text (preprint version) 5
🛠️ OSF Repository (3D models and dataset) 6
🛠️ Repository description

OSHWA Certified Open Hardware

The Customizable Pipe Fitting is an Open Source Hardware Educational Tool certified by OSHWA (Open Source Hardware Association), released under the CERN-OHL-S-2.0 (hardware and documentation) and GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0. (software).

✅ Certified Open Hardware - OSHWA UID CA000069 (Certification, license, and links) 7

Pipe fitting program workflow (OpenSCAD definition) for the customization of the mesh 3D models (STL files).

Customization of the pipe fitting files and list of the labeled parameters of the pfDesigner.scad file modifiable by the users, showing their connection to the features of the 3D model affected by their changes.

STL files of the customized pipe fittings obtained from the pfDesigner.scad file considering (a) a 10 mm diameter pipe and (b) a 20 mm diameter pipe (from top left to bottom right: fitting part, cap nut part, and gasket part). Size of the grid squares: 10 × 10 mm. Arrows in the figures are orientation vectors.

3D-printed pipe fitting parts for the test: (a) 10 mm-diameter pipe fitting parts made with PLA (from top to bottom: pipe fitting, nut, and assembled parts with the TPE gasket); (b) 10 mm-diameter pipe fitting parts made with PETG (from top to bottom: pipe fitting, nut, and assembled parts with the TPE gasket); and (c) 10 mm-diameter pipe fittings made with ASA (from top to bottom: pipe fitting, nut, and assembled parts with the TPE gasket).

Practical application of the couplings by connecting two plastic pipes of different materials to a waterjet cutter as a water inlet line.

Taherzadeh Fini, A., Brooks, C.K., Romani, A., Straatman, A.G. and Pearce, J.M., 2025. Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, Vol 9(2), 65. DOI: 10.3390/jmmp9020065 ↩
Tyrer, A., 2025. Open-Source 3D Printed Pipe Fittings Reduce Water Waste, New Study Argues. 3D Printing Industry. Available at: https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/open-source-3d-printed-pipe-fittings-reduce-water-waste-new-study-argues-236685/ ↩
1. Compression fitting. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/?curid=1457800
Taherzadeh Fini, A., Brooks, C.K., Romani, A., Straatman, A.G. and Pearce, J.M., 2025. Parametric Design of Easy-Connect Pipe Fitting Components Using Open-Source CAD and Fabrication Using 3D Printing. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, Vol 9(2), 65. DOI: 10.3390/jmmp9020065 ↩
Taherzadeh Fini, A., Brooks, C.K., Romani, A., Straatman, A.G. and Pearce, J.M., 2024. Design, Manufacturing, and Economic Analysis of Parametric Open-Source 3-D Printed Easy Connect Pipe Fittings. Preprint. Available at Preprints.org. DOI: 10.20944/preprints202501.0168.v1 ↩
Taherzadeh Fini, A., Brooks, C.K., Romani, A., Pearce, J.M. 2024. Design, manufacturing, and economic analysis of parametric open-source 3-D printed easy-connect pipe fittings. Project repository. Available at OSF.io. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FQJXE ↩
Western University - FAST Lab. 2025. Open-Source Customizable 3D-Printable Easy-Connect Pipe Fittings. Certification. Available at OSHWA.org. Link: https://certification.oshwa.org/ca000069.html ↩