Philips has launched a brand new initiative in collaboration with Prusa Analysis which permits shoppers to 3D print their substitute elements for its merchandise.
Philips Fixables is now reside on Prusa’s Printables platform, permitting anybody to obtain a printable file without spending a dime and construct their very own spares and equipment at residence. At the moment, there’s only one mannequin being supplied on the positioning, a comb to suit a Philips OneBlade razor, however the firm says if the pilot venture is profitable, Fixables will ultimately host a group of open supply 3D printable spare elements together with “intelligent fixes, and artistic upgrades, designed with sustainability and longevity in thoughts.” It’s additionally inviting the 3D printing neighborhood, restore fans and clients to get entangled to assist develop the platform and resolve which elements to deal with subsequent.
Philips, no stranger to 3D printing in its personal product growth, says its collaboration with Prusa has been key to making sure file information is ready to the best high quality to ship completed elements which might be sturdy and long-lasting. Every itemizing additionally particulars advisable supplies for greatest outcomes per Philips’ testing.
The intent is to encourage shoppers to restore fairly than substitute their electrical merchandise. In response to information from the UK’s Recycle Your Electricals marketing campaign, 103,000 tonnes of electricals are discarded yearly, and simply final 12 months alone, nearly half a billion small electrical ‘FastTech’ gadgets corresponding to cables, ornamental lights and mini followers, had been tossed away as a substitute of being reused or recycled. With claims that 77% of Europeans would like to restore fairly than purchase new, Philips hopes its newest providing will imply its merchandise last more in folks’s properties and keep away from being unnecessarily tossed into landfills.
The pilot is being launched within the Czech Republic, the place Prusa is headquartered, however Philips says, as soon as proved out, it plans to develop to different international locations with further elements.
3D printing has been broadly adopted by industrial customers for spare elements for all the things from substitute rail elements to important marine parts, to beat lengthy lead instances and challenges related to working in distant environments. On the patron aspect, manufacturers like IKEA have experimented with providing clients the choice to 3D print their very own equipment, whereas earlier initiatives like ShaRepair, aimed to lower WEEE (Waste Digital and Electrical Gear) from shopper merchandise by means of citizen restore initiatives leveraging digital instruments. Though the dream of a 3D printer in each residence by no means fairly got here to fruition, and it is not that simple to disrupt established spare half provide chains, initiatives like this show the place the candy spot is for 3D printing to supply an alternative choice to the standard spare elements mannequin.
