From the catwalks of fashion shows to the feet of professional athletes, 3D printing has become one of the fashion industry’s latest tools to innovate design and change our perception of what’s possible. But you don’t need to be a clothing design guru to utilize this technology for your own wardrobe.
One of the most popular 3D printing projects to recently emerged on Thingiverse’s 3D model repository is a functional 3D printed belt, designed by an Austrian maker and engineer who goes by the name of 3DWatsch. Inspired by another hinge-based belt design created by LeFabShop, the designer wanted to recreate it to make it possible to print the entire belt with the hinges pre-assembled.
Making a durable and functional belt took a few attempts. He printed the first version successfully in November 2018, and even wore it around for a few months before it eventually broke. From there, the maker bolstered the design and improved the overall strength of the belt.
Last month, on March 20, 2019, version 2 of the 3D printed belt was released. Not only was this iteration more durable, but it was also tailored for multi-material 3D printing. For today’s Weekend Project, we’ll take a closer look at this impressive 3D printed functional belt.
What You Need & How to Build it
The STL files for version 2 of this 3D printed belt can be downloaded from Thingiverse. To personalize the length of the belt, simply click on the “Open in Customizer” button on Thingiverse and select the length.
Before you 3D print an entire belt, however, the designer recommends starting with a test print to ensure your printer is precise enough. The “test_print” file is included with the other files. In his own example, the designer claims to have achieved the best results with Prusa PETG.
Compared to version 1, 3DWatsch made a number of improvements to his belt design. The Z-height was decreased from 40mm to 37mm, more clearance and material was added to the hinge pins, making it more stable and easier to print.
This 3D printed belt can be printed as a single object, and, for those with a multi-material 3D printer, it can be produced with different colors to match your go-to outfits. To customize the belt buckle, you can add your own logo using MeshMixer.
Once you’ve finished printing the belt, it will need some gentle bending to free up the hinges. Be gentle, as even this more robust version is still delicate.
For future iterations, 3DWatsch plans to reinforce the critical parts of the belt by adding holes for nails.
License: The text of " Get Fashionable with a 3D Printed Functional Belt" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.