A Design Philosophy Shift
Recently, a student in my weekly Fusion Zoom class shared an intriguing video tutorial by Robert Murray-Smith titled 3D Printed Bearing That Works. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out. Robert does an excellent job of illustrating a key concept that is often overlooked in 3D design: when designing for 3D printing, it’s essential to leverage the strengths of the technology rather than defaulting to replicating designs optimized for other manufacturing processes.
This concept resonates deeply with me. In the past, I’ve observed many designers attempting to recreate injection-molded parts in their 3D prints, complete with features like ribs and draft angles. These design elements are critical for injection molding but serve no purpose in 3D printing and can even hinder the performance or printability of the part. Instead, we should focus on the unique capabilities of additive manufacturing to guide our design decisions.
In his video, Robert addresses this concept through the design of a bearing. Traditional bearings rely on spheres, but as Robert points out, 3D printers aren’t great at printing spheres. What they excel at, however, is printing cylinders. So, rather than attempting to replicate a traditional ball bearing, Robert steps back and reimagines the design to use cylinders instead. This approach not only makes the design more feasible for 3D printing but also highlights the creative potential unlocked when we let go of traditional manufacturing constraints.
Robert walks through the design process using Tinkercad. Inspired by this, one of my students asked how I would approach this design challenge using Fusion. Fusion allows for more advanced tools and workflows, giving us an opportunity to explore the design on a deeper level.
In the video above, I walk you through my Fusion design process for creating a functional bearing, inspired by Robert’s approach. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch Robert’s video first and try designing the bearing in Fusion yourself. By interpreting his methodology and adapting it to Fusion, you’ll gain valuable insights into translating design philosophies across platforms.
Afterward, you can watch my approach to see how our strategies align or differ. This comparative exercise is a great way to deepen your understanding of design principles and expand your skillset.
So, let’s embrace the unique strengths of 3D printing and continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Remember, it’s not just about replicating—it’s about innovating.
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