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Show off your skills and solve real design problems
Think of any tool you always wanted to have but never found because nobody has made it yet. We want you to design it! Add the newly developed tool as a challenge entry with detailed description and user manual and get an oppurtunity to have your custom made tool 3D printed.
The tool can be useful in many different cases as well as custom made for very specific use in photography, electronics, aerospace, etc.
The main criteria is that it has to be 3D printed from the following material:
http://www.shapeways.com/materials/white_strong_flexible
If you feel comfortable the material properties are enough in purposes of tool performance you are ready to go.
We would also recommend you to upload the model to shapeways.com to check if the model is 3D printable.
Read more about the criteria under the requirements.
Thank you to xristos, Andrew Stephens, M. Janis Lavoie, Mohammad Ali, parampmd, Ricardo Luiz Teixeira and Arifin Sutur for the pictures.
Entry can be assembled maximum of 10 parts in total as long as it fits to 100x100x100mm cube
Model can be done in any CAD software as long as STL file for 3D print is provided
Model must be 3D printable
Entry needs to include user manual
Entry must be new in GrabCAD
All the jury members need to have access to private entries. Pick people to share access with on the right side of model view.
All the private entries will be made public after the end of competition.
You can submit several designs
Only models uploaded through this challenge page will participate in the competition
The competition is open to everyone, team entries are welcome
3D printed model from shapeways.com
GrabCAD T-Shirt
The winning tool will be chosen by GrabCAD engineers.
GrabCAD is a community founded by mechanical engineers. It is also a place for engineers to share their talent, expand knowledge, find a dream project and work with tools and features that make life better.
William
Amos Roger
Tobias Mattsson
Fateh MERRAD
Antanas Sulskis
Aykut Dana
Pranav Panchal
Manolis TheofilosHave an awesome idea for this competition? Want to win cool prizes? Sign-up now to upload your entries.
If you don't receive the email within an hour (and you've checked your Spam folder), email us as confirmation@grabcad.com.
51 comments
Fateh MERRAD almost 12 years ago
Great Competition good luck for all participants :)
Ajinkya Gotise almost 12 years ago
great task to spend weeak end... good luck all...
Tomica Vukovic almost 12 years ago
Is can be a transparent parts, or we must predict a place for them ?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
The Material to use is the White strong & flexible.
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
But if its for presentation you can use renders with transparent material. But the final product will not be transparent.
Gregory Guimarães almost 12 years ago
Great challenge. Good luck to all!
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
"Entry needs to include user manual" You must specify what the tool is meant to be used for. If its for fasting, bending, drilling or something like that. And adding the steps for how the tool will be used.
Isaac Selzer almost 12 years ago
Can the same person win multiple places? i.e. One person could win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd? & If we are in the top 3, can we choose our prize between 3D printed model from shapeways.com, and a GrabCAD T-Shirt?
Amos Roger almost 12 years ago
Awesome revision to the 3D printing challenge! All the best to all :)
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Isac: "You can submit several designs". That means that you can submit several entries to the challenge and also if they are good enough they might win several prices. But you cant change your price. If you win a 3D-print you get a print of the entry that won that place in the challenge.
Manolis Theofilos almost 12 years ago
It would be best if the user manual will be uploaded in a pdf or word format as a different file.
Keep in mind that your tool is one of a kind, this means no one has used it before so the user needs to find all the information required to use the tool effectively and with safety.
Mohomed Nusry almost 12 years ago
Nice challenge ;)
I have a question,.. Is it possible to include standard parts which are made out of different materials? (such as metal springs,rubber belts,etc...)
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Standard parts could be used as long as they can be 3D-printed.
Aaron almost 12 years ago
Interesting what some people are considering "tools".
Aaron almost 12 years ago
Interesting what some people are considering "tools".
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool
"One can classify tools according to their basic functions:
Cutting tools, such as the knife, scythe or sickle, are wedge-shaped implements that produce a shearing force along a narrow face. Ideally, the edge of the tool needs to be harder than the material being cut or else the blade will become dulled with repeated use. But even resilient tools will require periodic sharpening, which is the process of removing deformation wear from the edge. Other examples of cutting tools include gouges and drill bits.
Moving tools move huge and tiny things. For example, concentrating-force tools: the hammer moves a nail, the maul moves a stake, or a whip moves flesh on a horse. These operate by applying physical compression to a surface. In the case of the screwdriver, the force is rotational and called torque. Writing implements deliver a fluid to a surface via compression to activate the ink cartridge. Also grabbing and twisting nuts and bolts with pliers, a glove, a wrench, etc. All these tools move items by some kind of force. Also trucks, rockets and airplanes move larger items and particle accelerators move very small items.
Tools that enact chemical changes, including temperature and ignition, such as lighters and blowtorches.
Guiding, measuring and perception tools include the ruler, glasses, set square, sensors, straightedge, theodolite, microscope, monitor, clock, phone, printer
Shaping tools, such as molds, jigs, trowels.
Fastening tools, such as welders, rivet guns, nail guns, or glue guns.
Information and data manipulation tools, such as computers, middleware, IDE, spreadsheets
Some tools may be combinations of other tools. An alarm-clock is for example a combination of a measuring tool (the clock) and a perception tool (the alarm). This enables the alarm-clock to be a tool that falls outside of all the categories mentioned above.
There is some debate on whether to consider protective gear items as tools, because they do not directly help perform work, just protect the worker like ordinary clothing. They do meet the general definition of tools and in many cases are necessary for the completion of the work.
Personal protective equipment includes such items as gloves, safety glasses, ear defenders and biohazard suits."
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
Can user manual be a video?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Hmm, well if only people on the net would want to read a user manual it could be a video, but lets say the tool is a success and start selling in stores. Then a paper manual would be the best choice.
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
OK i will add a pdf along with the video... :D Can you give me a link of any manual that i can use a sample to make mine.. Because it will be first time for me..
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Something like this maybe: http://www.novonordisk.com/diabetes_care/insulin_pens_and_needles/novotwist/how-to-use-NovoTwist/Step-by-step-guide.asp
Easy to understand and follow.
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
Thanx Tobias Mattson.... :) :)
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
No problem, hope that helped some, had problems finding one online that was the way i wanted it to be. :)
Martha almost 12 years ago
i will do it
Martha almost 12 years ago
i will do it
Michael Maddocks almost 12 years ago
I uploaded my entry to shapeways and it scaled my model up larger than 100mm is this a problem? If so, does anyone know how to fix it?
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
You defined the dimensions in mm at shapeways?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
When you upload a model at shapeways you better check in the option right when it asks you what system you used when making the model (mm, inch).
Michael Maddocks almost 12 years ago
I didn't select the right units of measurement, thanks for the help!
Isaac Selzer almost 12 years ago
Yeah, could you explain more in depth on what the user's manual should include?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Something like the one Sudhir Gill made with his: Angle Measuring Device .
Isaac Selzer almost 12 years ago
Will do! Thanks Tobias.
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Hope that will do Issac.
Michael Maddocks almost 12 years ago
Can someone look at my user's manual for my belt mount can holder and tell me if it is informative enough or if i should go into more detail about how to use the different parts of it.
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
You should maybe put up some more angles of the holder so it's easier to get a overview feel of it in the manual.
Manolis Theofilos almost 12 years ago
Please descriptions in English. We can't know every language.
Aaron almost 12 years ago
LOL, how did this challenge turn out to be so difficult? If you can read and understand "3D print challenge", what happened to the part about "design a TOOL that is NOT ALREADY MADE"?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
Everyone please remember to post a manual of your model, last day now.
Kaspar Kiis almost 12 years ago
Thank you to everybody participating in the challenge. Please note that entries without manual (preferably PDF) will not participate in the contest. So please upload the PDFs latest by the end of 10.06.12 or you will be disqualified. Any questions, please let me know: kaspar@grabcad.com
Branko Stokuca almost 12 years ago
When are the results coming?
Tobias Mattsson almost 12 years ago
The judging process is underway, so as soon as its done the results will come.
Kaspar Kiis almost 12 years ago
Congratulations to all the winners! Make sure you also read the user manuals while browsing the winning entries. You can find more comments from the jury on each model page separately. Again, thank you to everybody participating in the contest!
Amos Roger almost 12 years ago
It was a pleasure to judge this contest ! A great platform for many creative ideas to come out ! Thank you GrabCAD for the opportunity and a big CONGRATS to all the winners :)
Branko Stokuca almost 12 years ago
Thank you Kaspar and Amos.
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
Thanks Everyone!! :) :) Thanks to all judges... and special thanks to grabcad for selecting me as winner... :D
Mohomed Nusry almost 12 years ago
Congratulation to Sudhir and all the winners. :)
Sudhir Gill almost 12 years ago
Thanks Mohomed Nusry
William almost 12 years ago
Congrat'z Sudhir for your wicked model and design :P and to all that took part in the comp some real nice concepts :P
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