The device was only 4mm thick and a 0.5mm gap had to be left for printing in order to allow movement which meant the beam had a diameter of 2mm. This is why I ended up with around 10 prototypes! The first problem I arrived at was the beam which connects the two parts together and allowed it to spin. Due to being new to 3D printing it was very much trial and error to understand the method and limitations as well as the strength of the PLA filament used. The initial design more or less stayed the same throughout the whole process showing off a small and simplistic design that fits comfortably in your pocket.Īlthough the overall design stayed the same there were many required alterations from the very first print to the 10th. This method made it possible to create an appropriate spinning mechanism and from there I built my design around it. It is possible to print parts of an assembly inside each other with a gap separating them to allow movement but also keeping them permanently joined. This was when I was informed that 3D printers are much smarter than I first thought. I was struggling to think of a method that would allow it to spin but not come apart except for the standard nut and bolt technique. After a quick brainstorm I thought about adding an unravelling mechanism that makes my winder superior to the rest.

I wanted to create one better so I put on my engineering hat and thought about how I could improve the designs already online. After a bit of research looking through the online CAD communities I found many different cord winders of all shapes and sizes that do the job. A earphone cord winder is something the cords wrap around in order to keep them neat and stops them from tangling in your pocket. A project was set to create a earphone cord winder from concept to reality in order to hone in my skills and prepare me for applications in the future. For the past couple of weeks I have been putting into practise my new DesignSpark Mechanical and 3D printing skills which I learnt through a FabLab workshop and during this placement. I’m half way through my 10 week internship at RS components where I am creating content for the members of DesignSpark.

Designspark 3d printing