User-centered design of a multi-material 3D printer

Background Currently, the 3D printer is expanding its application area to everyday life and the medical field due to the development of related technology. These changes mean that the scope of users will be extended to non-specialists, and that it will be important to ensure the ease of use for them. However, the existing 3D printer design has remained in the past and the usability is insufficient. Thus, in this study, user-centered design improvements were performed on multimaterial 3D printers combined with ME and PP technologies. Methods We observed users using ME and PP-type 3D printers in a joint laboratory with diverse 3D printers. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers of the laboratory. In this study, based on such observation and interview results, user's main pain points were derived and a design improvement plan was prepared. Results Pain points of existing 3D printers have been investigated for complex UI, odor and harmful air generation, and inconvenient door opening and closing. The design improvement plans are as follows. First, the complex UI is reconstructed into a systematic and simplified structure. Second, the odor and harmful air are purified through the internal filter, and the discharged air is to be vented away from the user's respiratory. Third, inconvenient door opening and closing are designed to be easily opened and closed through auxiliary doors for collecting the printed output. In this study, we realized these design improvements into actual working prototypes and verified usability improvement through usability evaluation. Conclusions This study derived design improvements for 3D printers through user-centered design. In the case of production equipment including 3D printers, design studies for improving usability have been relatively neglected, and it seems that active design improvement is needed in the future.