Design Engineering with 3D Printing
We were running into assembly issues with our aluminum rods, sometimes the fit was too tight, other times too loose. When I noticed the aluminum rods were coming in with slight tolerance variations, I turned the challenge into a design opportunity. I created flexible, 3D-printed fins that could bend and adapt to those differences, ensuring a snug fit every time. This not only reduced wobbling but also made assembly easier and more intuitive for users, showing how small design details can have a big impact on both manufacturing and the user experience.
The fin design was added to our CAD library so it could be easily reused across products. It’s now implemented in all of our floor and table lights that use rods, creating a consistent solution across the line. The geometry was optimized to print without supports, making it both efficient to manufacture and simple to scale.
Leave-in Supports for Diffusers
When designing diffusers, we needed to carefully consider both overhangs and shadows. For the Drops floor light, the diffuser’s geometry included multiple parallel overhangs that made it impossible to 3D print without support material at first glance. Adding supports would have reduced surface quality, while splitting the diffuser into multiple parts would have compromised the original design intent, increased cost, and introduced additional seams that created unwanted shadows.
I solved this by creating double walls that enhanced diffusion while minimizing shadowing, and by engineering a series of acceptable overhangs that allowed the diffuser to be printed cleanly without removable supports. To support the top flat rim, I integrated thin fins as leave-in features, maintaining both strength and printability. This approach preserved the original design intent, reduced manufacturing complexity, and delivered both aesthetic and functional benefits.
Originally, I was concerned that the fins would be visible through the diffuser, so I explored different leave-in support concepts that could complement the design if they did show. In the end, I implemented 0.8 mm fins that completely disappeared when lit, creating no external shadows while still supporting the structure.
