Sep.29, 2012
The OP-1, a battery powered pocket music synthesizer is an ambitious little project from Teenage Engineering. Teenage Engineering is a company who has always been doing things creative, and they have just posted the CAD files for the knobs and plastic parts that could be downloaded freely on Shapeways.
This is how Teenage Engineering has responded to criticism about the high cost to buy the OP-1 accessories - now they give customers access to 3D print their own parts.
We work hard to make our OP-1 users happy with free OS updates and added functionality. But sometimes we fail.
As some have noted, the shipping cost of the OP-1 accessories is very high. This is because we can't find a good delivery service for small items.
Meanwhile, we have decided to put all CAD files of the parts in our library section for you to download. The files are provided in both STEP and STL format. Just download the files and 3D print as many as you want. Next fail is the OP-1 manual update. We are almost there…we promise it will be ready sometime next week. Thank you all for your patience, we promise to work even harder in the future to make you happy.
-Teenage OP-1 "fail" Team
(Images credit: Teenage Engineering)
You could now download the STEP or STL formatted CAD files and make all the replacement plastic parts for your OP-1. If you don't have access to 3D printer, you can order the printed knobs through Shapeway's service.
This is an interesting development to offer the CAD files for replacement parts. We expect sooner or later other electronics manufacturers will also open source their parts to provide a better and impressive customer service.
Shapeways comments:
This is the first company that I have seen so far that offer replacement parts to be 3D Printed by their consumers. This is an incredibly smart move as it takes away the need for them to warehouse and distribute replacement parts. It also means that their fans have an opportunity to modify and customize aspects of their synthesizers.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
Maybe you also like:
- Casting aluminum parts directly from 3D printed PLA parts
- Manufacturing Shift: Made in USA, sold in China
- Kickstarter prehistoric dinosaur back to life with 3D Scaning and 3D printing
- Ancient sea creature reconstructed with CT Scan and 3D printer
- Conceptual footwear fuses classic design with 3D printed soles
- Shell makes complex structures with 3D printing
- First 3D printed San Francisco 'Day & Night' cityscape watch
- Scientists bring 3D printing into the lab
- NASA awards funding for automated on-orbit construction with 3D printers
- World's first tissue-engineered football
- O.update: manufacturing personal electronics with 3D printing
- Sculpteo's new app lets you create your own 3D printed iPhone case
- 3D printed car model DrivAer as a key to vehicle air circulation
- 3D printed Sugru fixing robot: Fixbot
- Create garden tools using a 3D printer