print + is a product line of DIY tools that allows consumers to create and customize their own products.
Since mechanical parts can be 3D printed locally, only a small amount of material needs to be shipped - reducing costs and environmental impact. This series of headphones is among the first of print+ DIY kits and will soon hit the market.
Patrick Schuur started the print+ project on Kickstarter in 2015. The goal of print + is to create fully modular products, where the main parts can be 3D printed locally. Parts that cannot be printed are provided by print+ in the form of DIY kits. The final product being fully modular means that each part can be easily replaced or reprinted when worn out or broken.
For example, if only one speaker is broken, there's no need to discard the entire set of headphones.
Fully Customizable
The print+ kit also offers countless customization options. Non-printable parts (wires, speakers, and pads) come in 21 different colors, which, combined with the 3D-printed mechanical parts, means a vast number of options to personalize the headphones to your taste.
print + provides all 3D files for free, so anyone can customize and improve them. People can print 3D parts, order parts from local 3D Hubs, or get parts from local 3D printing shops. Once printed, the headphones can be self-assembled without soldering, glue, or screws, in about 5 to 10 minutes.
Local Production
Because the main parts can be 3D printed locally, print+ headphone kits can be shipped in 1/5 the volume of a fully assembled pair of headphones, reducing shipping volume by 80% compared to usual shipments.
This means that ultimately, fewer materials can be shipped worldwide, which can have a significant environmental impact when implemented on a large scale. print+ hopes that local plastic production will grow by leaps and bounds, just like this project.
3D Printing and Product Design
Patrick explains that a project like print+ would have been impossible 5 years ago. At that time, 3D printing was inaccessible, as it was both expensive and time-consuming. Today, you can sketch a design in the morning and have the 3D printed part in your hands by the afternoon.
“3D printing shortens the development cycle and improves the quality of the final product, because you can make changes in a shorter amount of time.”〞
Ultimaker has become an invaluable tool for product designer Patrick. He explains that the machine's reliability, consistency, and flexibility are important factors in the development of new products like print+ headphones.
It allows for a large number of design changes in a short period, which is crucial for product designers looking to accelerate time-to-market without compromising quality.
By developing products that can be manufactured locally, print+ aims to develop new manufacturing methods and concepts.
print+ headphones are the first of the print+ series of DIY kits. As Patrick says, “As a developed product, it demonstrates the potential of 3D printers.”
Following the development of the headphones, more print+ DIY tools will be available.
Please stay tuned to the print+ website for more news, or visit our page to see other cases of how desktop 3D printers are changing product design.
Original article:https://ultimaker.com/en/stories/49201-print-3d-printed-diy-headphones