3D Print Replacement Parts

Being able to 3D print replacement parts is a wonderful thing in modern society, where the products are built to wear out on the consumer. Let me give you an example, the one I will be using throughout this demonstration.

Once upon a time, my mom, lovely lady that she is, was making a cake. This wasn't just any cake, but a cake with frosting. And, in order to make the frosting, she was using a small electric hand mixer to whip it up. But, for some unknown reason, the beaters wouldn't beat. So she called me over, handed it to me and asked me to fix it. So I opened it up and saw that the two plastic gears inside were stripped.

At this point I had (in my opinion) a wonderful idea. Instead of trying to find those gears in a store or online and then having to buy them, why not just make them myself?

The school I go to has a 3D printer, a MakerBot Replicator 2, and all the bells and whistles to go with it. I used that to print out the replacement parts. They also have Autodesk Inventor Professional which I used to design the part. And finally, they have a wonderful teacher who helped me through the process, as I am still quite new to the CAD designing and 3D printing technology.

This could be a long process for those who are new (like me) but don't despair. It will all be worth it in the end when you put your new part in and feel the satisfaction of having done it yourself.

Step 1: Measuring

This first step is definitely the most important step of this whole process. If this is not done correctly, the final product won't be right either and could possibly hurt whatever you are attempting to fix even more. So, what I always do is think about the old adage, "Measure twice, cut once." It is better to spend a few extra seconds measuring again than countless hours redoing the whole design.

I used a digital calipers to measure my part. With a digital calipers, it is important to always zero it out when you first start using it. This can be done be sliding the two arms together and then pressing the zero button. I'm sure there are other kinds of calipers that are all different so experiment and see what works. Or, if you don't have a calipers, you can use a ruler or tape measure, although that can get tricky with small parts and they're not as accurate.

Another thing to always have handy is a piece of paper and a pencil. What I always do is draw out the part I am reproducing from several angles, so I am sure to have all the measurements I need.

Step 2: Drawing

The next step would be to draw out the part in some form of CAD software. I used Autodesk Inventor Professional, because that is the only one I had available to me. I have not used any other so I cannot tell you if it is better than any others or worse.

The pictures show a full step by step of how I made my replacement part, however I am not going to go through it as that would be long and boring and you probably don't need this part anyway. Play around with whatever software you are using to make your part and be sure to put the measurements in correctly. I may later edit this with what I think are some good CAD software choices, but right now I just don't have the knowledge. If you would like to comment some that are out there that would be great.

Step 3: Printing

Next is the actual printing of the part. What I did was I exported the file from Inventor, then opened it in MakerWare. This is the software on computers that translates the 3D drawing into something the printer can read and print. It is fairly self-explanatory once you get into it. Just make sure you have it sitting on the platform, not underneath it, as that would only give you pieces of your part (don't ask how I know).

I used an SD card to transfer the files from the computer to the Replicator 2. To do that, just slide the SD card in the computer, click export in MakerWare once you have your part in there, and wait for it to ask where to export to. At that point, when the libraries comes up, click (obviously) the SD card and wait for it to finish. Then take the card and plug it into the printer, select your project and away you go.

Alternatively, you could send your design to a company such as Shapeways and have them print your part and mail it to you. I have never done that although I have heard many good things about it. Your choice.

Now just wait for the printer to finish its job. Naptime!

Step 4: Testing

Now for the moment of truth. Will the part fit into the device/object and will it work properly. If you look through the pictures, I lay out how I took apart, inserted the new parts, and reassembled the mixer. Tada! It works!

If you notice, there are two different colored gear parts that I replaced. That is because the black ones (the final ones) were the third and fourth ones I had printed. The first one I printed was white and I had been off a little on my measurements. So I adjusted and printed a new white one. This one was much better, but then my teacher switched the filament color on the printer to black. So I printed two more so they would match (yes, I am slightly ocd). Then my teacher asked if he could have a new printed part, an old part, and a copy of the drawing to keep as an example. So I gave him the good white one and everything else he wanted for him to keep.

Step 5: Conclusion

So, moral of the story, this can and probably will take several attempts to get right. But hey, now we can make frosting again!

I tried to make this as adaptable as possible for whatever all you makers out there might be doing. 3D printing is becoming a big thing and can help in a lot of ways. Right now I'm trying to find and utilize as many of those ways as I can, whether it be replacement parts or new designs.

If anybody out there would like the full tutorial of how to make the specific mixer part I can do so with the full details and measurements. Just leave a comment!

Also if anybody has other ideas or printed their own replacement parts and wants to share, go right ahead.

Good Luck!