A regular customer recently asked if I could re-work a design to make it more cost effective for 3D printing at scale and I was more than happy to oblige!
The part in question was a universal bracket for mounting security and in-vehicle cameras. As ever, it was a design that didn’t really warrant the investment needed for injection moulding given the regular introduction of new cameras to the market, all with their slightly differing requirements for optimal positioning, 3D printing is the perfect gap-fill. I’ve printed hundreds (…in fact thousands) of them over the past few months, and all are now at work in commercial vehicles across the country, however it was time for an update.
Smaller, faster to print and more economical to print…simple!
Designing with 3D printing in mind from the outset can make a significant difference to the speed and subsequent cost of a 3D print. Avoiding the need for support material, sizing and orientating for the greatest number of parts on a print run, all have a huge impact on print time. With a target of a 50% cost reduction, even with the addition of a bolt and nyloc nut to improve strength and adjustment options, the new part was a hit.
