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[3D Printing News] Structure Design Collection: Make Your Product More Flexible! (Part 1)

【3D列印快訊】結構設計大集合，你的產品更靈活！(上)

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[3D Printing News] A Collection of Structural Designs to Make Your Products More Flexible! (Part 1)

Our convenient daily lives are filled with tools and components that perform complex functions, from staplers to cars and motorcycles. If you take apart a single assembly, every component needs a "joining structure" to connect to each other. This time, we will introduce several common joining structures and design principles to give you more methods for product design.
 

We can first divide these structures into two types of assembly: "permanent" and "reusable". If disassembly is not required after assembly, a "permanent" joining structure will be more stable. Conversely, if it needs to be used for functions like clasps, opening/closing mechanisms, or if disassembly is needed to test other combinations, then a reusable structure should be chosen.

This time, we will focus on several common permanent joining structures: those that cannot be disassembled after assembly and are stable and durable:
 
1. Snap-fit
This is suitable for products with limited internal space, or designs with a minimalist appearance, enclosed casings, etc. After snapping together, there are no protruding components, which reduces the risk of accidental disassembly of the product.
 

 

 

2. Sleeve and Groove with Barbs
The design principle utilizes the open, flexible tab design of the sleeve to create a slight tension allowing the barb to pass through, and then the barb hooks back into the sleeve. Since the connection point is internal and completely covered by the component's casing, the object will be very secure and stable if the gap is designed correctly.








3. Self-locking Clip
Another common structure, similar to the sleeve assembly above, uses a male-female reversal concept. The clip is designed to be open and slightly bent outwards; it narrows during assembly and then expands again to secure the object once in place.
 

 

 
4. Expanding Bolt
Compared to the image above, the difference in this design is that the expanding bolt is independent of the assembly. The advantage is that after assembling the parts, the bolt can still be removed individually by drilling or disassembly. Plastic injection molding is a common method for mass production, but SLS 3D printing technology can not only reveal the product's shape during the development phase but also be directly used for testing more complex functional components. This is because Sinterit's laser powder technology has almost no limitations on the structure of prototype samples. (What is SLS 3D printing technology? Beginner's guide: Comparison and principles of common 3D printing technologies)
 





In the past, assembly structures could certainly be joined with glue, nails, or screws, but this often damaged the product casing or aesthetics, or couldn't be used for prototyping due to prototype destruction. The structures introduced here can all be printed in a single pass using SLS technology with Sinterit Lisa and Lisa PRO 3D printers, offering aesthetics and stable functionality, providing product designers with more practical inspiration.

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