Did you know that 3D printing started in the 1980s? Of course it wasn’t available for everyone until later, but the first commercial printer was released in 1987. It is an additive process where objects are created by depositing material in layers, or in some cases hardening a liquid in successive layers. Previous processes either used molds and castings, or subtractive processes where block or material was selectively reduced to create an object. Similar to how a sculpture is created from a block of marble.
What is 3D printing and how does it work?![]()
The process is quite revolutionary. But this is only half the story. 3D printing can also create object shapes that are not easily created using subtractive processes. Looking at object 3, the blue vase in the 3D printing illustration above. It would be exceedingly difficult to either carve this object out of a solid block or even mold it as a single part. Molding would be possible, either in two parts and fusing them together or by using a spinning mold, either of which is complex.
3D printing this object is straightforward, it leverages not only the ability to carefully control the location of the print head, in 3-dimensional space, which deposits the material from which the object is made from, or in some designs position a laser which hardens a liquid, but also CNC (Computer Numerical Control).
Modern subtractive machines can also make use of CNC in devices such as Routers, Milling Machines and Lathes. At this point in time CNC subtractive machines are more expensive and less versatile in what they can produce than 3D Printers can but have the advantage of being able to carve and shape more material types than the media available to print with 3D printers. For example, metals such as Brass, Aluminum and Steel, as well as natural material like wood, and stone. These machines can make objects out of whatever materials are placed in their vices or chucks respectively.
Whereas a 3D printer can only make objects from raw materials that can flow through its print head or solidified by a laser.
Granted, 3D printing has its own limitations and is in no way “inferior” to subtractive and molding manufacturing processes. It is just a bit different and also holds many advantages. It can make complex shapes and colors, it can do it very affordably and quite accurately. One need only look at Amazon to see that there are many, many choices of 3D printers and media available to any consumer. Many cost less than $ 300, can be printed on the same day and delivered the following day.
How is 3D printing transforming scooter maintenance and repair?
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Ability to rapidly design and prototype parts.
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Ability to remotely make parts from existing or modified designs
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It’s relatively easy to learn and create parts with 3D printers.
Both electric scooter manufacturers and enthusiasts can design and prototype parts using files created from scratch with a CAD program.
A 3D scanner can be used to scan a part and create a file to recreate an existing part. The same file can be used and this file can also be modified to optimize it to meet needs, or correct issues.
How does 3D printing improve accessibility to repairs?
Electronic Scooter parts can be printed from files that can be emailed to end users or repair stations, rather than being shipped. This saves time, shipping costs, and can resolve inventory problems. These files can also be edited to suit the needs of the user prior to printing. It allows manufacturers as well as repair stations and users to gain access to parts that may no longer be “in production”.
End users and repair stations do not need to have CAD skills to produce parts from existing files. These files can be archived and distributed as needed. User communities can share them including new modifications allowing customization. The process can be similar to downloading and printing a PDF of a user manual. IMPORTANT: We do not recommend modifying the structure or materials of your scooter as this could be hazardous, and it voids the warranty on your scooter.
What are the limits of 3D-printed scooter parts?
The biggest limitation for scooters when it comes to 3D printing is that it can’t produce parts that are as strong as commonly used metals or as flexible as certain rubber parts. Also obviously 3D printing cannot make electronic parts like a controller. There is a place for subtractive manufacturing and molding.
Subtractive manufacturing using CNC lathes and milling machines can also be utilized much like 3D printers. Currently, they have not reached the price/usability ratio of 3D additive printing. In time this may change with desktop CNC subtractive technologies becoming more affordable and commonly used.
Molding is very scalable and produces a high number of parts fairly quickly with fairly high start up costs, however. It is “an economy of scale”. The cost of making the mold and setting up into the injection molding machine is expensive, but that cost is amortized against the typically high number of parts that can be produced from that mold relatively quickly and inexpensively.
There are 3D printing service providers that do have large numbers of 3D printers that can do fairly large production runs however.
The media that is used to create 3D printed objects can also be expected to evolve in time. Just as adhesives and other complex chemistry derived products have. There may come a time in the not too distant future where 3D printed parts will have the strength of 6061 aluminum, opening the possibility of producing a wider variety of parts “desktop”. Printable aluminum alloy sets strength records, may enable lighter aircraft parts | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Artificial intelligence is transforming CAD accessibility by lowering the barriers that once limited CAD design tools to experienced users. Modern AI-assisted CAD tools can interpret natural language commands, allowing users to describe shapes or functions verbally instead of mastering complex drawing tool interfaces. Machine learning algorithms automatically optimize geometry, detect design flaws, and suggest improvements, making the process faster and more intuitive. AI Generative design systems even propose multiple design variations based on part performance goals, enabling creativity without deep technical expertise. Together, these innovations make CAD more inclusive, enabling students, hobbyists, and small businesses to turn ideas into manufacturable models with a much lower learning curve than ever before.
3D printing is revolutionary. It allows on demand local creation of parts. It can elevate needing storage of repair parts, packaging and shipping delays and costs. The printers themselves are affordable and becoming easier to use, ubiquitous and more capable. We can expect future developments of printing media that has more diverse properties than what is available now, opening new possibilities of parts that can be produced. With the advances in affordable and available 3D scanning, and application of AI in creating and editing CAD files 3D printing is destined to have a profound impact on electric scooters and many other machines that use manufactured plastic, rubber and metal parts.
