This thesis presents the development of guidance cards for consumers engaged in “3D Printing for Repair” (3DPfR). When being engaged in 3DPfR, consumers face multiple challenges, for example printing parts that can resist high temperatures, or making parts with fine details. The goal of this project was to develop guidelines which allow repairers to overcome these challenges themselves, this way allowing them to repair a broader scope of products and to increase their chance of success. This thesis consists of three parts, each presenting a distinctive phase of the project.

During the first phase of the project, literature research was performed to study the concept of repair, the discipline of 3DPfR, the related disciplines of “Design for Repair” (DfR) and “Design for Additive Manufacturing” (DfAM), and 3D printing categories and technologies. Several usable frameworks for both 3DPfR and DfAM were identified. Despite the similar name, it was found that the knowledge on DfR is of limited use to 3DPfR as defined in this project. Additionally, it was found that there is a strong focus on desktop Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) in 3DPfR, while it was also demonstrated that several other printing technologies are available to the user as well, mostly through 3D printing service providers. Lastly, user interviews were hosted, from which it appeared that the interviewees were unaware of many of the insights acquired in the other chapters of this part, affirming the need for supporting tools.

The second phase focused on acquiring new insight in the challenges encountered during 3DPfR. The acquired knowledge from Part 1 was applied in a case study. In this study, a Dyson V11 vacuum cleaner was disassembled and mapped. A variety of parts with different challenges for 3DPfR was selected, after which the parts were redesigned and printed in metals and plastics. Through this study, it was found that the current set of criteria to determine the eligibility of a part for 3DPfR was not complete. Also, ways of (partially) resolving the challenges in 3DPfR were acquired, as well as a more profound understanding of the difficulty imposed by the challenges.

The synthesis of the accumulated knowledge of phase 1 and 2 took place in the third phase. In the final phase of the project, guidance cards were developed, with each of the cards addressing one challenge in 3DPfR. The cards include an indication of the difficulty of designing and making the part, an example, an explanation of the limitations, and finally strategies for designing and making the part. The cards were evaluated with several users and generally received positively, each participant indicated that the cards would help him or her to repair more products through 3DPfR.