Adapter - Dell Monitor Stand (FFT-FZ) to VESA 100x100

         I had a Dell P2217H monitor that broke, so I bought a new monitor, the SE2222H from Dell as well. The stand of the old monitor was much superior to the new one, so I decided to swap them, and to my surprise, I realized they were not compatible.

         I tested several 3D printed adapters and none of them worked until I started understanding that Dell has several standards for monitor stands, which I find absurd. However, 3D printing can solve this type of compatibility issue.

          The models I found to adapt the Dell base to the universal VESA system are designed for the Dell Monitor Stand FFT-ZS, probably compatible with monitors UP2516D, UP2716D, U2717D. However, my model is not this one; mine is the FFT-FZ, which is likely compatible with monitors P1917S, P2217H, P2017H, P2217.

PHOTO WITH THE BASE MODEL – 01

          So, I took the models that were already practically designed by @FubukiLab_202195 and @miku, I thank them for making the STEP file available:

VESA Adapter for Dell Monitor Stand with 3 Screw Holes
https://www.printables.com/model/340716-vesa-adapter-for-dell-monitor-stand-with-3-holes-f

Dell Monitor Stand (FFT-ZS) VESA Adapter (UP2516D, UP2716D, U2717D)
https://www.printables.com/model/584840-dell-monitor-standfft-zs-vesa-adapter-up2516d-up27

          Then I adapted it to the model I needed, which was the FFT-FZ. I also made some improvements in the tolerance of the holes for better fitting.

PHOTO 02

          The assembly and adaptation process are quite simple, although it has some tricks for those doing it for the first time. It may not be very straightforward, but I will leave my step-by-step here, along with the mistakes I made, which make things much easier.

          The first step is to remove the three screws from the central hole of the Dell monitor base as shown in the photo.
PHOTO 03

          Now you can remove the metal cover, and you will have completed the process of removing the standard Dell monitor structure.
PHOTO 04

          In place of the metal cover, put the printed part and fix it with screws in the same holes where the old screws were removed. Here comes an important point: the screw must be an M4x10, or if you choose to use washers, go with M4x12. 

PHOTO 05

         This point is crucial because there is little tolerance for screw length — a few millimeters longer, and it will block the rotational movement of the base. This base performs several types of movements, and with long screws, it ends up blocking the vertical movement of the monitor. All of this can be verified after fixing the screws. Test to see if the monitor's movements are preserved. If the vertical movement is blocked, the probable cause is that the screw is too long. I went through this a few times until I understood the process.

PHOTO 06

         Now your monitor base is configured for the VESA standard, and you can attach it to any monitor with the VESA 100x100 standard. In this case, we'll proceed with attaching a Dell monitor, but the steps should be very similar for any type of monitor. 

         A Dell monitor has a back cover that can be easily removed. Sometimes it has a button, and other times you just press its base.

PHOTO 09

         After that, just position the base with the new VESA adapter in the square hole on the back of the Dell monitor and secure it with screws. As mentioned above, this attachment was done with M4x16 mm, which probably have greater tolerance compared to the three rounded screws used in the first step. I like to use washers because I think they provide more security, but I believe it will work well even without them.

PHOTOS 07 and 08

Adapted from Stand (FFT-ZS) to Stand (FFT-FZ).

Improved tolerance in the tunnels.