I’m gonna provide full transparency so you get the most benefit from the use of our products. I have been designing and 3D printing products professionally for decades. My business Deep Orange Design helps inventors create, prototype and test new products. When it comes to making stuff, I know my stuff!

The Nissan Patrol Cup Holder product USED TO BE produced by 3D printing, which is a slow additive manufacturing process. They are now injection moulded and are cooler, sleeker, more detailed and more consistant.

3D printing is a bit like laying bricks to build a house. This allowed me to produce small quantities of niche products and keep cost down and competitive. As such, it also allows me to refine and improve the design quickly and easily. With 3D printing I can produce shapes that are difficult or costly to produce using conventional manufacturing methods. If I discover any flaws or come up with improvements, I can implement changes immediately without costly tool changes.

Lead time for printing vs. moulding

Because 3d printing is slow, it could be a few days before a part is ready for dispatch. A single cup holder used to take about 8-10 hours to create. You can see how that may limit production. We had to allow a week or so for a purchase to arrive, and even that was assuming Australia post is doing their job.

Injection moulding is much faster and more consistant, but the set up cost is huge. So it ony really makes sense when there is enough demand. Fortunately that was the case for the cup holders and now I can order them in bulk from the factory in no time at all!

Things that suck

There are some things that suck with 3D printed parts. Most obvious are the build lines or layer lines. These are a result of the process of extruding molten material layer by layer to build the part on the printer. Depending on the orientation of the particular geometry of the part, some surfaces show this more than others. In addition, some products use thicker layers to increase strength or speed up production time, so they may be more visible. I always find the best balance between aesthetic and cost to bring you the most optimal result.

Occasionally, small strands of filament or bumps may remain on the parts. Usually you can remove these with a nail clipper or simply ignore them. Do not pull at strands as they may dislodge other layers and reduce the strength of the item.

Consistency in 3D printing

Because 3D printing allows really small production runs of product it is likely that there will be slight changes in each run. This could be minor design improvements or optimising production. Other inconsistencies may be out of my control. For example if a supplier runs of raw materials or I cant get the exact colour I want, or if I think changing materials is a better choice.
Whatever it is I promise that there will never be a compromise in quality or function and I offer a no questions asked refund if there is anything wrong with your purchase.

Liability

Get over it. I am not liable for the use or misuse of my products. Use of the products is entirely your responsibility and any claims against me or my products are limited to the cost of purchase. Use common sense and don’t be a dick.