Innovation that Connects: An Easy-to-Use 3D Printed Snap Array

Inspired by the locking mechanism of the common coin purse, EnvisionTEC 3D Builder Jose Nunes designed a system for attaching items together using an innovative 3D printed snap array.

The design is easy to scale up or down to attach two sides of an object together, for easy removal and reattachment.

Josue’s design will be on display April 24-26 in Fort Worth, Texas, at RAPID + TCT, the premier 3D printing event in North America. EnvisionTEC will be located in booth 1304 at the entrance.

The 3D printed snap array will be printed in EnvisionTEC’s in E-Rigid PU material. Available in black, natural and white, E-Rigid PU is hard and stiff but also maintains good strength, marked by flexibility and impact resistance.

With a hardness value of Shore D 80, the same value as a cast urethane plastic, E-Rigid PU is a versatile and tough material. The material is ideal for end-use and prototype applications that may have previously used ABS, nylon or urethane plastics, such as casings for handheld devices, snap-fit or consumer and sporting goods.

The 3D printed snaps will be used to hold samples of EnvisionTEC’s 3D printing materials into place in the booth, and visitors can remove and reattach the material tiles after examining them.

A Display of EnvisionTEC Materials

EnvisionTEC recently clarified its collection of materials, and now offers 50 3D resins that deliver the best performance and functionality for their applications, such as:

• prototypes and end use parts
• investment casting
• high heat resistance
• thin walls and high detail
• transparency
• tooling for molds
• jigs and fixtures
• specific hardness requirements, or
• specific medical uses

In the dental, hearing aid and bioprinting markets, EnvisionTEC offers CE- and FDA-approved biocompatible materials, including materials suitable for long-term use in the body.

About Josue

A native of Richmond, Virginia – Josue has lived in Michigan since he was a toddler. At Walled Lake Western High School, Josue took technology and design classes as well as a year of architecture.

“The classes really helped me and developed my love for architectural design,” said Josue. “Since I was graduating soon, my teacher offered up Lawrence Tech as an option.”

Josue enrolled at Lawrence Technological University after graduation in 2010.

“My first year was really general with typography and art classes,” said Josue. “Then I moved on to some architectural beginner-based classes.”

After graduating from Lawrence Tech in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Josue wanted to focus on 3D conceptualization and landed a job at EnvisionTEC.  With a love of architecture and design, Josue is looking to push his 3D printing career forward while understanding and improving upon the technology.

“With 3D printing, I love the designing side, not so many steps to reach a final prototype and I was really intrigued by going from conceptualization to a finished model,” said Josue. “As a builder, I am able to take a customer’s benchmark file and bring to life their design.”