Life, Organizing Tips, Resources, Technology, Work/Life Productivity

Need an Organizing Tool? 3-D Print It!

I first heard of 3-D printing during a webinar about The Future of Work. During the webinar, they showed a video about how they were testing 3-D printers and “living” ink to create an ear prosthetic.

Very cool stuff for a geeky, sci-fi chick like myself.

I work with clinicians and scientists who are always curious and always looking at the latest technology, and they like to see what these gadgets can do. Several researchers I know have 3-D printers at home to see what they can create.

Since our division moved to a new building, our Senior Vice President found the perfect organizing trays for his office. Since the desk trays he found didn’t have label holders, he made his own on his 3-D printer. Each label was sized to hold a slip of paper for his tray names, and he used small nails to fasten them to the trays. He also made a calendar so he can easily see today’s date when he signed paperwork.

I thought both creations were brilliant, and I am enamored by the magical world of 3-D printing. I love the idea of creating your own organizing products when you can’t find what you specifically need. Choose your design, the color, and presto – you have an original organizing tool.

Our Senior VP and other 3-D creators post their creations on the Maker Bot Thingiverse website. Visitors to the website can download the posted patterns to create their versions.

On the Thingiverse site, I found an assortment of organizing tools, including assorted boxes, organizer trays, and cable organizers. Some others that I liked:

One entry on the website was not a printable 3-D design but rather a suggested way to organize your 3-D tools.

It’s going to be exciting and fascinating to see how 3-D printing will continue to evolve in the future – in all aspects of our lives. At some point, we may go to our favorite office supply store and tell them what we need, and they will print out a customized product for us. How cool will that be?

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