After upgrading the front dashcam to a 4K unit, the old dashcam sat collecting dust. Since the bracket it had was designed for a sloping windscreen it wasn’t able to be used in the vertical rear window of the Lannix Design Holden Colorado. This became a great opportunity to come up with a custom bracket in CAD and test the heat resistance capabilities of our PETG 3D printing filament. 

The standard PLA type filament always gives a great looking result but is notorious for deforming when exposed to the higher temperatures seen inside a car. PETG filament on the other hand is able to withstand these temperatures easily with the trade-off being that it can be more difficult to get a decent looking part. Fortunately our custom 3D printing enclosure allows us to get good results with PETG.

The design is relatively simple and incorporates the use of suction cups that enable it to stick to the vertical glass. 

After more than 18 months inside the vehicle, the part has shown no signs of warping or deformation of any kind. Some say that ABS or ASA is necessary for high heat environments but for this type of application it is not necessary. The significantly higher level of difficulty of 3D printing ABS/ASA makes PETG a wise choice for vehicle interiors.