Cable Ties

Cable ties are typically used for strain relief on cables entering an enclosure or to otherwise attach cables and wires to a 3D print.

A bundle of cable ties.

The cable ties used in most MMC projects require at least 3 mm of width, and 1 mm of thickness. When the cable tie runs along the exterior of the device, like the ones found at the bottom of the Open Rocker Switch, be aware that it will not bend a perfect 90 degrees and will either need a radiused bend or a slightly deeper channel to allow it to lie flush with the exterior of the device. If it is in the interior bottom of the device, a fillet along the bottom makes it easier to insert the cable without it getting stuck, as seen in the Spruce joystick

Dimensions

The primary dimensions and considerations of the part.

  • Minimum Width: The minimum width of the rectangle required for the cable tie to pass through. If using a circular passthrough, this is also the diameter of the circle.
  • Minimum Height: The minimum height of the rectangle required for the cable tie to pass through.

A bundle of cable ties.

Cable Tie Dimensions  
Minimum Width 3 mm
Minimum Thickness 1 mm

Design Considerations

When designing parts that use this component, you need to keep in mind the following design considerations

  • Overhanging Holes: Holes in unsupported overhanging material can print poorly and lead to parts not fitting. Refer to the Hydra Research Design Rules section on overhanging holes for how to design an overhanging hole that can print without support
  • Horizontally Printed Holes: Holes in the wall of a print can sag when printed, while this isn’t an issue for the threaded part of the hole, this can cause the passthrough hole to not pass through wall. When designing a hole meant to print horizontally, use a circumscribed octagon instead to eliminate the steep overhangs at the top of the circle.
  • Layer Line Orientation: When the cable tie is used to provide strain relief for a cable, consider the fact that it may be subject to a significant force. Make sure to orient the section that the cable tie is connected to in a way that the layer lines strengthen the section, not weaken it.

Purchasing

Cable Ties can be found at these links:  
Digikey Cable Tie DigiKey Link
Mouser Cable Tie Mouser Link