{
 "version": "2026-10-20",
 "license": "Dimension sheets: CC BY 4.0. Standard and published-size files: CC BY 4.0. Xem Studio's own designs (files_license = Xem Studio Design License): free to use and sell things from, not to redistribute as files — https://xemstudio.com/license/. Other publishers' files: their own license, linked beside them.",
 "slug": "print-in-place-ball-joint",
 "name": "Print-in-place: captive ball joint, Ø24 ball, limited cone",
 "kind": "hardware",
 "category": "3D printing",
 "group": "Print-in-place mechanisms",
 "year": null,
 "question": "How do you 3D print a ball-and-socket joint already assembled?",
 "tags": [
  "3d printable",
  "print in place",
  "no assembly",
  "no supports",
  "mechanism",
  "stl",
  "step",
  "ball joint",
  "swivel"
 ],
 "aliases": [
  "print in place ball joint",
  "3d printed ball and socket",
  "ball joint stl",
  "print in place swivel",
  "captive ball joint"
 ],
 "overall_mm": {
  "length": 60,
  "width": 60,
  "height": 45
 },
 "official_cad": false,
 "xem_status": "free-files",
 "les": false,
 "free_files": 3,
 "url": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-ball-joint/",
 "sheet_txt": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-ball-joint/sheet.txt",
 "sheet": {
  "basis": "Xem Studio design: spherical seat with 45° mouth and lip; one designed running gap of 0.40 mm",
  "overall_mm": {
   "length": 60,
   "width": 60,
   "height": 45
  },
  "notes": [
   "3D print in place — prints already assembled, moving, in one job. Drawn at true size with no printer tolerance added; the 0.40 mm running gaps are part of the design.",
   "Running gap 0.40 mm per side, 0.80 mm on diameter — part of the design, drawn as is. On the 45° faces the same 0.40 mm is measured square to the face (0.57 mm along the axis).",
   "Bed: socket on its square flange, ball centre 14 mm up, stem vertical. The ball stands on a Ø6 flat: its lower cap below 45° is a 45° cone down to the bed.",
   "Support while printing: the socket is a sphere 0.40 mm larger than the ball, kept only between 30° below the equator and 45° above it — above 45° the opening begins, below 30° a 45° cone opens to the bed — so no ceiling in the socket is flatter than 45°; the ball, its foot cone, stem and knob flare are all within 45°.",
   "Captured: the mouth (Ø17.5) and the lower lip (Ø21.5) are both smaller than the Ø24 ball, so it can leave neither way.",
   "Freeing it: hold the socket, rock the stem round the full cone a few times and spin it; a firm first push breaks the foot off the bed.",
   "Motion: the stem tilts 29.6° from vertical in every direction (a 59.2° cone), stopped by the stem on the mouth edge, and spins freely; computed by tilting the model about X, Y and the diagonal."
  ],
  "table": {
   "columns": [
    "key",
    "value",
    "what"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "gap_mm",
     0.4,
     "running gap per side on every moving interface (radial, axial, under captured parts) — part of the design, not a tolerance"
    ],
    [
     "ball_d_mm",
     24,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "socket_sphere_d_mm",
     24.8,
     "ball + 2 × 0.40"
    ],
    [
     "stem_d_mm",
     6,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "mouth_d_mm",
     17.54,
     "socket opening at the top (45° up the sphere)"
    ],
    [
     "lip_d_mm",
     21.48,
     "socket's lower lip (30° below the equator): holds the ball from falling out"
    ],
    [
     "cone_half_angle_deg",
     29.6,
     "stem tilt from vertical to the mouth stop, any direction"
    ],
    [
     "cone_angle_deg",
     59.2,
     "full cone swept by the stem"
    ],
    [
     "spin_deg",
     "360 continuous",
     "about the stem"
    ],
    [
     "axial_play_mm",
     0.57,
     "ball lift from the drawn position"
    ],
    [
     "socket_od_mm",
     44,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "flange_mm",
     "60 × 60 × 4",
     "4 × Ø4.5 on 48 × 48"
    ],
    [
     "knob_d_mm",
     16,
     "on the stem, 45° flare"
    ],
    [
     "height_mm",
     45,
     "as printed"
    ]
   ]
  }
 },
 "sheet_text": "Print-in-place: captive ball joint, Ø24 ball, limited cone — dimension sheet\nSource: Xem Studio, https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-ball-joint/  (sheet CC BY 4.0; files Xem Studio Design License, https://xemstudio.com/license/)\nBasis: Xem Studio design: spherical seat with 45° mouth and lip; one designed running gap of 0.40 mm\nCatalog version: 2026-10-20\n\nOverall (mm): length 60.0, width 60.0, height 45.0\n- 3D print in place — prints already assembled, moving, in one job. Drawn at true size with no printer tolerance added; the 0.40 mm running gaps are part of the design.\n- Running gap 0.40 mm per side, 0.80 mm on diameter — part of the design, drawn as is. On the 45° faces the same 0.40 mm is measured square to the face (0.57 mm along the axis).\n- Bed: socket on its square flange, ball centre 14 mm up, stem vertical. The ball stands on a Ø6 flat: its lower cap below 45° is a 45° cone down to the bed.\n- Support while printing: the socket is a sphere 0.40 mm larger than the ball, kept only between 30° below the equator and 45° above it — above 45° the opening begins, below 30° a 45° cone opens to the bed — so no ceiling in the socket is flatter than 45°; the ball, its foot cone, stem and knob flare are all within 45°.\n- Captured: the mouth (Ø17.5) and the lower lip (Ø21.5) are both smaller than the Ø24 ball, so it can leave neither way.\n- Freeing it: hold the socket, rock the stem round the full cone a few times and spin it; a firm first push breaks the foot off the bed.\n- Motion: the stem tilts 29.6° from vertical in every direction (a 59.2° cone), stopped by the stem on the mouth edge, and spins freely; computed by tilting the model about X, Y and the diagonal.\n\nkey  value  what\ngap_mm  0.4  running gap per side on every moving interface (radial, axial, under captured parts) — part of the design, not a tolerance\nball_d_mm  24.0  \nsocket_sphere_d_mm  24.8  ball + 2 × 0.40\nstem_d_mm  6.0  \nmouth_d_mm  17.54  socket opening at the top (45° up the sphere)\nlip_d_mm  21.48  socket's lower lip (30° below the equator): holds the ball from falling out\ncone_half_angle_deg  29.6  stem tilt from vertical to the mouth stop, any direction\ncone_angle_deg  59.2  full cone swept by the stem\nspin_deg  360 continuous  about the stem\naxial_play_mm  0.57  ball lift from the drawn position\nsocket_od_mm  44  \nflange_mm  60 × 60 × 4  4 × Ø4.5 on 48 × 48\nknob_d_mm  16.0  on the stem, 45° flare\nheight_mm  45.0  as printed\n\nFiles elsewhere (not hosted by Xem Studio; license as stated by the publisher):\n- Xem Studio: Print-in-place mechanism design (geometry computed in the generator) — web — Xem Studio design — https://xemstudio.com/\n\nFree files (Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio; STEP + STL, 3 parts): https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/index.json\nAPI: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=print-in-place-ball-joint\n",
 "sources": [
  {
   "publisher": "Xem Studio",
   "title": "Print-in-place mechanism design (geometry computed in the generator)",
   "url": "https://xemstudio.com/",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Xem Studio design",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  }
 ],
 "xem": {
  "status": "free-files",
  "sheet_free": true,
  "mesh_price_usd": null,
  "step_price_usd": null,
  "tolerance_mm": null
 },
 "related": [
  "print-in-place-captive-wheel-axle",
  "print-in-place-barrel-hinge-180",
  "print-in-place-multi-knuckle-hinge",
  "print-in-place-captive-turntable",
  "print-in-place-dovetail-slider",
  "print-in-place-articulated-chain",
  "print-in-place-push-button-flexure"
 ],
 "fits": [],
 "dimensions": "exact (nominal, no printing tolerance)",
 "dimension_rule": "All geometry on Xem Studio is exact (nominal, true size) with no printing tolerance. Where a part meets another part, the object lists its mating features (feature, exact size, what it mates with, fit class: press, slide, run, socket, clamp or designed). Apply your process's allowance to those features only; 'designed' gaps are part of the design and stay as drawn.",
 "mating": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "What limits the angle?",
   "a": "The Ø6 stem meets the edge of the Ø17.5 mouth at 29.6° from vertical (45° minus the stem's half-width angle, less the gap)."
  },
  {
   "q": "Why does the ball have a cone underneath?",
   "a": "A sphere touching the bed at one point would overhang all round its bottom; below 45° its cap is replaced by a 45° cone ending in a Ø6 flat."
  }
 ],
 "files_license": {
  "name": "Xem Studio Design License",
  "holder": "Xem Studio",
  "url": "https://xemstudio.com/license/",
  "note": "Xem Studio's own design: free to use, print, modify and sell things made from it; not to be republished or redistributed as files."
 },
 "offers": [
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-ball-joint-assembly",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-assembly.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-assembly.stl",
   "note": "The whole print as laid on the bed (2 bodies, already assembled); STEP keeps each moving body a separate solid"
  },
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-ball-joint-socket",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-socket.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-socket.stl",
   "note": "Socket on a 60 × 60 flange: spherical seat Ø24.8 from 30° below to 45° above the equator, 45° cones beyond"
  },
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-ball-joint-ball",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-ball.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-ball-joint/print-in-place-ball-joint-ball.stl",
   "note": "Ball Ø24 with a 45° foot cone, Ø6 stem, Ø16 knob"
  }
 ],
 "markdown": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-ball-joint/index.md"
}