3D printers were meant to be a way where you could create useful stuff around the home, including replacement parts for things that break. However, understandably, companies tend to keep their design specs under wraps.
So, unless someone takes the time to reverse engineer those parts and make 3D printable files for the rest of us, that’s the end of it. Except that electronics maker GPD did just that.
Good Guy GPD Released a Bug Fix as a 3D Printable File
On the 20th of March, GPD posted on X with a link to a 3D printed file for the top case of its Win2 handheld PC.
Since the Win2 has been out of production for years, and people are still struggling with hinge issues, the company decided to just let owners have the file. With that, you can print your own replacement top case using your own 3D printer, and if you don’t have a 3D printer it’s trivial just to send an order to your local print farm, probably for just a few dollars.
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A Lot of Gadgets Have Parts That Could Be Printed
This really struck me as such a great idea. There are numerous parts for older gadgets that are out of production which could be 3D printed. Not just the plastic stuff either. These days 3D printing can be done in various materials, including metal, so if there’s some bespoke part and there are no spares left, it could be the answer.
The companies in question have the CAD files, so if they lack the will or the means to provide spares, the rise of 3D printers creates a great opportunity.
It Would Be a Major Win for Repairability
If more companies followed GPD’s example, it would make it much easier to keep gadgets going years after they would normally fall apart. Especially if the damage is structural or cosmetic, and repairable by replacement with a 3D-printed part. We’re always hearing about how stuff isn’t as repairable as it once was, and that the “right to repair” is important for consumer rights and even for environmental reasons.
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That said, we don’t actually need the original manufacturer to release the files, because often technically-minded community members will create 3D models by simply scanning the original part, or by creating something that’s not exactly the same, but will do the same job.
Of course, this can’t be done for every little esoteric part out there, and there’s inevitably some trial and error involved. It would be much easier for the company just to release the CAD files it already has, and this is the only way to get coverage of most devices.
It would be pretty awesome if the support page for every laptop, or handheld gaming console, or whatever you can think of included a set of printable files right alongside things like software drivers and user manual downloads.
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Still, There’s No Downside to Releasing the Files
While I think companies might rightly worry that releasing their design files to the public could hurt their intellectual property, when you actually think about it for a moment there are few if any downsides.
First, you’d be releasing files for something that’s not being manufactured anymore. If you’re still selling spares and doing repairs, there’s no need to let people print their own parts yet.
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Second, whether you release the files or not, competitors or anyone who’ll take the time can simply make a copy of a printable part the old-fashioned way.
Third, releasing a file so customers can print their own spares does nothing to the ownership of the design. It still belongs to the original designer, and releasing the files doesn’t suddenly make it all Public Domain or something.
So look to GPD as a beacon of common sense, and a great example of how to make your oldest customers happy. This is a small thing that builds trust and goodwill between a company and its customers, and I want to see more of it!
GPD Win 4
The GPD WIN 4 is a compact yet powerful handheld gaming PC with a surprisingly versatile keyboard that is a joy to use. If you’re looking for a high-end handheld gaming PC that packs a physical keyboard, this is the one to get.
