Word of warning, 3d printed cases are a bad idea. The plastics don’t actually absorb the impact like a real case would, and so they break often and don’t actually absorb the impact and protect your phone. Every time I’ve used one I’ve ended up with damage.
Did you use TPU for the prints? If you used PLA, that really was a bad idea. With TPU my drop tests (not on purpose) were successful and the phone without damage everytime (so far)
It depends how thick and soft the tpu is. If you have a thick enough and soft enough case, it will absorb an impact. Just like silicone cases do. And they are also solid.
This is how it starts. Next thing you'll know you'll be optimizing phone shapes, learning physics about drop protections, and soon starting your own case company.
BTW… In the process of designing these there were made a few prototypes. They all are not perfect, but if someone (from Germany) wants one, here is my stock :D If you have questions on a specific one just ask. I would give them away for shipping+packaging cost.
Oh you are so right :D I bought 3 rolls last week… Using this one for my cases btw:
SUNLU TPU Filament, 1KG Flexibles 95A TPU 3D Drucker Filament 1.75mm Maßgenauigkeit +/- 0.03 mm, Hohe Liquidität und Elastizität, 1KG(2.2Lbs) Spule, TPU Filament für FDM 3D Drucker,TPU Gelb https://amzn.eu/d/872AVs6
It's flexible enough to get a phone into it, but it still feels pretty stiff, depending on thickness and infill settings. It's flexible but not really stretchy.
As long as it's flexible enough, it's probably enough to protect the phone when falling on a hard surface. Just another reason to get a 3d printer. I'm having a hard time finding cases that I want and never thought it's possible to make one using 3d printer.
I would say that depends on you, your printer and the used filament.
On my Voxelab Aquila out of the box with official slicing Software I could print PLA without issues, but with TPU it would have been impossible. Now I use Astroprint.com for slicing where I control print settings in more detail than it would be possible with Voxelab’s slicer. So that was the first step to take. Also I upgraded my printer to DirectDrive and DualGearExtruder. I then needed a new fan shroud, because the one I used before didn’t fit anymore. Then I had to learn about e-steps, because somehow I went into Unterextrusion (after switching to the dualgear Extruder you need to get the e-steps set new depending on the new extrudergear thickness. Luckily it was mentioned on the package it came in). Then the TPU started wrapping around the extruder gears. Turns out I printed too fast and so on…
Long story short. Depending on your printer, I would suggest at least switching to DirectDrive if your printer doesn’t have it. Also print very slowly, like 20mm/s slowly.
I did this for a few inserts for like glasses holders and stuff, but not yet for smartphone cases. Wouldn’t it then also expose the top of the edges? Also I think it would probably collect very fast, very much dirt in my pockets :D
ah this is the professional CAD tool from autodesk. I only used the minimalistic web version of Tinker CAD, probaly enough to do small customizations on cases
What orientation do you print these in? Looks like you'd need supports and I've had trouble getting nice finishes on the side that needs the supports. I've only printed with PLA though.
I printed most of them laying on the back to get this nice PEI printbed finish. The only one I printed upside down is the LEGO one, because I was afraid the back would look ugly if supports where on it.
Of course you could print all of them facing the back up, so the „ugly“ supported sides are inside. You obviously will need more filament that way because of the supports, but it should work just fine.
BUT…
I highly recommend printing these in TPU, not PLA. I don’t know if you will even be able to get your phone in these, as they get a bit around the phone and PLA is not really flexible. And even if you get it in, it will possibly brake fast and not protect your phone they way it should.
Edit:
Here is how it looks after slicing. The brighter parts are supports.
Oh of course I'd print them in TPU. I was just saying that because I have no experience with printing it and if the ugly side is as ugly with TPU. That's my only concern with printing a phone case. I'm pretty new to 3d printing so I only just learned some the limitations and the ugly side of things lol.