If you’ve already typed in “Top 25 useful objects to print” then this article will no doubt be of benefit to you. I’m a Product Designer at Alveo3D, and I’d like to share with you some keys, tools and thoughts on designing useful objects using 3D printing.
Nothing complicated, the secret… is to solve a problem ! What are yours ?
Follow these 6 steps to find out all the resources you need to create really useful objects.
But why buy a 3D printer?
At first, you have an idea in mind, a small project or just the desire to be able to print any object. And if, like me, after printing 3 figurines and 2 keyrings, you’re thinking: well… what do I print next?
That’s how Alveo3D started. Originally, I was printing technical parts for my professional projects, and I had time to print some for myself too, testing files I found on the web.
But the smell of ABS was unbearable: it smelled like burnt plastic, scratched my throat and stung my eyes. A few searches later and I opt for the ready-made solution: a printer box with Ikea tables and a few Plexiglas panels.
Well… it’s not enough to contain the odors. After a bit more research, I came across articles and studies that showed just how harmful the fine particles and VOCs emitted by a printer can be. So I had a problem to solve: get rid of odors and fine particles. A good way of creating a useful object in 3D printing.
1. Find a problem to solve
In this case, it was pretty clear: odors and pollution, all I had to do was develop a solution. Adopt the notepad and post-it method! If something bothers you, write it down.
Or ask yourself how you can improve a product. We’re rarely the only ones with a problem. On my shower cubicle, I’ve got steel hooks, which are very poorly designed, as if they’d never been tested before being put on the market. I might as well just throw my towel on the floor, and save myself an unnecessary gesture every morning. It’s pretty obvious.
A more interesting concrete example: in the workshop, we do a lot of soldering on electronic boards. One of my colleagues had made a crazy stand with magnets and alligator clips to hold the components to be soldered.
Seeing him struggling a bit, I thought it would be quite easy to adapt an efficient holder. I found this Gopro mount.
A small modification to one of the components transforms a Gopro support into a multifunctional articulated arm for welders and other DIY enthusiasts.
With a problem to solve, we have a goal, we’re no longer starting from scratch. The next phase is a tool to help you find an effective and creative solution.
2. Use existing resources
Before you even embark on a 3D design project, I invite you to research what already exists on the Internet. In design agencies, for every project, we start with a discovery phase, where we compile a list of existing products.
The aim is twofold:
- To discover existing solutions – we’re rarely alone with a problem.
- Understand how these solutions work.
Compile your research: copy a shape or adapt a system, and you’ll save time. This research should be a little box of elements to pick from.
You’re feeding a reservoir of ideas that you can take back and focus on the really important part of your solution: a mechanical link, a cable routing, a complex shape, and so on.
In the previous step, I gave you the example of the Gopro support, but the exercise was the same for the Alveo3D filtration box.
Before it became a business, I started by looking for an existing solution on the Internet based on a dust filter or vacuum cleaner, which wasn’t very good to be honest.
If you’d like to find out more about the development of the Alveo3D housing, the comments section at the end of each article is open to you. How did we design efficient filters? How did we solve the fan power problem?
Top 10 sites to find STL files :
- Cults3d: huge STL file library with efficient search filters
- Thingiverse: perhaps the largest open source STL file library
- Youmagine: large STL file library
- Pinshape: STL file library and their 3DPrinterOS online tool for editing 3D files
- Yminifactory: a library of high-quality models, selected and tested by the community, with a professional designer on hand if required
- Grabcad: library of 3D files, including many technical parts
- Autodesk: great tool with a very large library, but chargeable after the trial period
- 3dagogo: this site offers a free library, as well as the possibility of selling your creations
- 3dshook: a free library and a paid service enabling you to make custom parts
- Instructables: this site offers complete projects, not just 3D files.
Have you been browsing the bookshops, but haven’t found what you’re looking for? Or would you like to draw your own shape? Let’s move on to modeling!
3. 3D design, an indispensable tool
We’re going to destroy a myth right now… you don’t need a 5-year degree to do 3D. If you really don’t want to get into it, use AI generator to quickly create 3D designs, or turn to a professional service mentioned above. You can call on a professional on a freelance platform such as Malt.fr (French platform) or Upwork.com for international
Are you interested in 3D modeling? But you don’t know where to start… I’ll try to list the software and their advantages.
A little knowledge of 3D modeling to help you make the right choice :
- There are software packages based on parametric modeling: in other words, a technical and functional design approach: Rhino3D, SolidWorks, etc.
- And those that take a direct approach to 3D modeling: in other words, a more creative approach that offers greater design freedom. Like Zbrush, a digital sculpting software.
- You also have software that combines several methods: Blender, 3Ds Max, Cinema4D and so on. Harder to get to grips with, they are among the most popular with creative minds, as there are few design limits.
Free software
3D Slash: Free, very easy to learn, based on Minecraft-style block assembly. Nice for beginners, but you’ll soon be limited.
SculptGL: free online software based on digital sculpting techniques like Zbrush, you’ll need a bit of practice to give shape to your ideas. Try it out, it’s fun and playful.
TinkerCAD: I discovered this software during my studies, and it’s pretty easy to get to grips with, allowing you to make fairly complex shapes with a little mastery. It’s free surface modeling software.
DesignSpark: this is a freemium program, with an interface similar to AutoCAD, with a mechanical focus. Its advanced features will enable you to perform complex modeling.
FreeCAD: free, open-source software. It’s a parametric program, so you’ll have access to your job history to modify your 3D at any time by changing parameters. Parametric design comes in handy if you often need to come back and adjust your 3D.
MakeHuman: Free and very easy to learn, it’s dedicated to human model customization. For advanced users, you can directly modify the surface mesh.
Meshmixer: Free, easy-to-use software for creating complex shapes. Its main advantage is that it has been designed for scanners and 3D printers.
Sketchup: Google’s little one, the standard version is free and, with a small extension, you can export STL files. It’s basic, very basic, but good for beginners.
Blender : Blender is probably the most complete free and open source software on the market, featuring object modeling, sculpting functions, fluid and particle simulation, animation and rendering. The interface is complex and not very intuitive, and once you’ve discovered it, you’ll need to be patient to master all its aspects. Very active community, lots of tutorials.
Paid software
3ds Max: professional software for managing organic objects with polygons, creating parametric objects and integrating NURBS modeling tools for precise meshing.
AutoCAD: Autocad is clearly dedicated to architects, designers and engineers in the industrial sector.
Cinema 4D: one of the pillars of the industry, it’s intuitive and easy to use. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll have no trouble modeling any shape.
Rhino3D: this software is based on the modeling of surfaces from curves, NURBS. It’s a very popular program in the industrial design world. Quite easy to learn, with some plugins available on the net, you can really easily export your STL models.
ZBrush: Here’s one of the leading 3D sculpture design programs, with a different modeling logic: as with clay, you start with a rough shape that you refine little by little. This software allows you to create all soft shapes as well as solids, i.e. creatures such as helmets or ships. However, it is complex to learn, and even more so to master.
Fusion 360: one of the least expensive, it is nonetheless complete and based on parametric modeling. The darling of 3D printers, it integrates numerous tools dedicated to 3D printing, such as mesh correction for STL files.
Solidworks: parametric modeling software (made in France), it has the advantage of a truly intuitive interface and numerous tutorials, and is very complete. However, it is oriented towards modeling industrial objects… so it’s difficult to model Groot, but the Iron Man armor will be within your reach.
In a word: using modeling to create objects that are useful in 3D printing
The aim is not to know them all. Specialize in software that won’t limit you in your future creations. With a good command of 3D software, you’ll soon be able to create useful 3D-printed objects.
I recommend that you start with free software. Once you’ve grasped the logic of construction, adapting to new software is less difficult.
Now that your 3D is complete, it’s time to test…. and start again.
4. Test and improve… don’t rely on serendipity
It sounds long and tedious, yet it’s a crucial step. It will enable you to produce files that are easy to print, and that will be appreciated by the people who print your creations.
First, you need to understand how 3D printing works. The first part I printed was the famous little boat that everyone makes. With a nikel Gcode supplied by the printer manufacturer. My print was clean: no worries… On the other hand, the first print I modeled myself was just plain wrong…
Why such a failure? Because I didn’t know that I had to design the part according to the capabilities of my machine: precision, layer size, overhang and bridges. But that’s what I do for parts that will be injected into a mold for professional use.
So I had to adapt the way I designed the part to the 3D printing process. It’s really important to know your machine well, so that you can be precise with the layer, know when you need support and when you don’t, and optimize the quantity of plastic and the printing speed.
For the AlveoONE case, while maintaining the same end result, we reduced the printing time from 50 to 30 hours.
A specific example: the first image shows the first version of the case, version 1.0, and you can see the grid cutout in the rounding of the dark part.
However, I had to modify the part when we distributed the version 1.7 files, as the grid required a lot of media. This extended the printing time by several hours. What’s more, the surface was extremely dirty, with filaments everywhere.
The new design, with a flat surface, may be less stylish, but it prints very well without a backing and in half the time. And since I’ve got other things to do than spend my Sunday sanding plastic parts…. It’s a good compromise.
This enhancement process becomes fun when you try out new shapes. Play with the flexibility of the plastic, the density of the fill or its transparency, and you’ll create some really cool 3D-printed objects. The process is no longer a constraint, but a source of creativity to help you. At this point, you’re approaching the designer’s job.
In the first step, I show you my little clamps for holding the elements. I played a lot with the flexibility of the plastic to hold the components tightly, and with each test, I hoped I wouldn’t break my part. I finally found the right compromise between rigidity and flexibility. The next step is a little secret….
5. Remove the nose cone from the printer
Have you ever tried printing screws or nuts? Don’t limit yourself to making 100% printable objects. Look at the surrounding objects that are designed using a single manufacturing process.
Invest wisely in materials: a small kit of nuts and bolts, a good glue gun, a couple of model-building accessories.
I’ll even go one step further and let you in on a secret, but you’ll need to speak a little English to do so.
Start on alibaba.com. A Chinese proverb says that if you don’t find it on alibaba, it doesn’t exist, period.
If you find something that looks like it, but isn’t exactly what you want – dimensions, connectors, power, etc. – use the “Submit RFQ” option, which stands for Request For Quotation. Formulate your specifications in English. Then, when you have a satisfactory answer, ask for a sample.
Shipping will cost you a little, but you’ll have a product that’s unique in the world. Perfect for your window solar panel project, your drawer light system etc…
I’ve linked you to Instructables.com. There are very complete projects, very well documented, with all the resources available and accessible. It’s inspiring and might just spark a few ideas. We’ll stop finding good ideas the day we stop looking for them.
The last step is a marvel of ingenuity! Use 3D printing to create your objects in the material you want…. yes, the material you want, not just plastic.
6. Object molding using 3D printing
Use 3D printing to make a mold, not the desired part directly.
Model your part, then use the shape to create a 3D mold, so that once the mold is printed, you can cast your part.
A 3D printing mold will enable you to exploit other materials that are easier to rework or more resistant. Use silicone and all your creations will be IP68, a broken USB connector?
A few tips to avoid beginner’s mistakes:
- No hot material, so no molten metal or glass; everything else works fine: glue, silicone, resin, wax, plaster, cement, chemical sealants, etc.
- Any defects in the mold will be reflected in the casting.
- Remember to use a clamp to prevent material leakage
- For excessively adhesive materials such as resin, use gel coat or try several stages. A silicone mold made from a printed part allows you to mold the resin in the silicone mold.
To conclude:
In this article, I’ve tried to share the major steps involved in creating useful objects. All these tips, resources and tricks will never replace creativity. They’re just tools to get you started, or to take you further.
So, to sum up, think about the problems you see around you. Existing solutions are a source of inspiration, as are community projects.
Modeling becomes very accessible and can only help you to improve your projects. Combining different manufacturing processes will help you imagine more complex objects.
And finally, exploit the potential of 3D printing a little further with molding…. We all love to make pies, so get your molds ready 🙂
It’s your turn to share your useful 3D-printed objects. Our 3D files are available free of charge in the download section, and I invite you to try them out for those interested in filtering harmful particles.
Article written by:
Victor Martini
Designer at Alveo3D
