Air cylinders will only hold two positions - fully retracted or fully extended. That is, unless you have some external break or lock. Then it's not the cylinder doing the "holding". As previously suggested - call SMC and talk to an Application Engineer. Their only job is to help you succeed...
Most hydraulic cylinder rods have male or female threads for exactly that purpose - attaching something to them.
Something tells me though that you want to "attach" something in a more "secure" way - like welding.
Do not EVER weld on a hydraulic shaft and expect it to continue to function...
I would suggest contacting a local university or technical college. Many of them have some pretty high-end 3D printing equipment. I have quotes from a local source for 3D printed metal components. In our case, casting and machining was less costly, but I can see situations where additive...
Thanks for the question, but... you aren't going to get an answer without answering more questions. I'll go first:
1. What is PTR? I found this on Google: "Fiberglass-reinforced plastic (Fiberglass PTR)"
2. I would not trust tapped holes in fiberglass or plastic. VERY weak. Find another...
I bothers me when I hear non-engineers say something like "its got to be parallel". I have to explain there's no such thing as just "parallel". The word requires a measurement. How parallel? But when I hear engineers say that... well... we won't go there.
How parallel do you need it?
No...
You will see that type of pattern on caster wheel mounting plates and other devices. The intent is for the plate to fit two different bolt patterns, one pattern of smaller geometry and smaller bolts as well as another pattern of larger geometry and larger bolts.
A very hard-learned lesson on taper fits: The aspect ratio (length/width) MUST be correct. Some high speed rotating equipment in our plant was designed 30 years ago with rotary unions on each end of a shaft. These unions are changed out on a regular basis.
The engineer thought he would...
Simple answer - yes. If no specifications are given for an inner shape (ID, wall thickness, etc.) then solid is the only other option. Anything else should be considered as "not to print".
My experience from working with t-slotted materials is that in the long run, they just make things more complicated, and actually take more time to complete an assembly. If you have a good drawing and the right tools, standard materials are the way to go. T-slotted structures have their place...
Fiberglass is a non-conductor, and it is available in standard structural shapes. T-slots would not work well in fiberglass, but it is relatively easy to fabricate using standard methods (drilled holes, aluminum fillet plates, fasteners, etc.)...
