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2023-11-09
3D printing your product idea - 3 frequently asked questions
How do you sell and test a product that doesn't exist? By 3D printing a prototype of course! Our business coach and technology guru Jan Björn has helped many entrepreneurs realize their product ideas in our prototype workshop. But he also has a hobby of 3D printing most things he needs. Here he answers three frequently asked questions about 3D printing.
1. examples of things that can be 3D printed?
The only limit is your imagination! We have several examples of entrepreneurs from our incubator who have used our 3D printers to test design, function and create prototypes to bring to customer meetings, for example. Svante Olsson at Elektroskutt is one example. He has developed several smart products that make electricians' everyday lives easier.
"I have 3D printed everything from specially designed mobile phone holders, towel rails, soap dishes, candle molds and covers to electronic products and spare parts for furniture and other things that I could not buy. When I can't find products that solve my problems, I always think about whether they can be 3D printed instead. When it comes to product development, 3D printing is unbeatable!
2. What questions should be answered before getting started?
Before you can 3D print your prototype, you need to produce a digital CAD drawing. This is where a lot of time and thought needs to be put in. To get a good drawing, you need to
have as clear a picture as possible of what features your product should have and what it should look like. How big should the product be? Should it consist of one or more parts? Will the product be screwed or fixed to something else? Should it have a lid? In what environment will it be used? Indoors or outdoors? Should it be waterproof or weatherproof? All these answers form the basis for the design of your product.
3. How long does it take to 3D print a prototype?
The 3D printing process itself takes anywhere from 15 minutes to several days. What matters is the size of the product and how many parts it consists of. For example, if we look at Svante's product Dutts, which helps electricians keep flexible hoses in place, it takes about 15-20 minutes to make in the printer. 3D printing a sign like this takes about four hours with all the details (Jan shows the sign in the picture below).
Free or busy in our photo studio? We didn't have a good sign, so why not 3D print one? It took about four hours to print with all the details.
Jan has helped a bunch of entrepreneurs to develop products and 3D print their ideas. He also teaches the 3D printing courses that we run on a regular basis.
Svante Olsson of the start-up company Elektroskutt was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Trollhättan and VGR. He has developed a number of different products that make electricians' everyday lives easier. To help him, he has used 3D printers from our prototype workshop.
Dutts is Svante's product that helps to keep the flex pipes in place. 3D printing a Dutts takes about 15-20 minutes, says Jan who supported Svante in the process.
Chassis Autonomy is another startup from our incubator that 3D printed its prototype in our Makerspace.
Jan's tips for those who want to 3D print their idea!
| 1. first and foremost is to actually complete the process and 3D print your prototype. It is by far the fastest way to get your product idea in hand and will help you validate and verify your idea! 2. Spend time on the design and customize it to be 3D printed 3. Make sure to keep the prototype as simple as possible to solve the task intended with the product. |
