Printhoek 3D

Printhoek 3D Printhoek 3D is a service bureau specialized in CAD Design, 3D Printing & Scanning. Welcome to Windhoek, Namibia's 3D Printing Corner.

Call or Whatsapp us:

Romar Rañola Quitasol - Founder and Maker
B.Tech Mechanical Engineer
Mobile: +264 81 2898 147
https://www.printhoek3d.com/

The saddlebag was blocking the bicycle’s rear light from traffic behind the rider.To reposition it properly, we needed m...
01/09/2026

The saddlebag was blocking the bicycle’s rear light from traffic behind the rider.

To reposition it properly, we needed more than the dimensions of the original mounting point. We 3D scanned the saddle and bag together so the new bracket could be designed around the client’s complete setup.

The scan data showed the available mounting space, the obstruction created by the bag and how far the light needed to be extended.

This allowed us to create a customised bracket that retained the existing light while moving it into a more visible position.

A specialised component can be expensive to buy without being difficult to manufacture.For this project, the client was ...
30/08/2026

A specialised component can be expensive to buy without being difficult to manufacture.

For this project, the client was struggling to source the original lymphatic-system component easily or affordably.

Once the geometry had been measured and reconstructed, resin printing allowed the component to be produced locally in batches. The client accepted the result and could obtain multiple replacements at a lower cost.

Local manufacturing does not replace every specialised supply chain. But when the geometry, material and performance requirements are suitable, it can make low-volume components more accessible.

28/08/2026

3D printing does not end when the build is removed from the printer.

These lymphatic-system components were produced in a batch with support structures holding the small geometry during printing.

After production, each component had to be separated and the supports removed carefully. The process requires controlled handling around the smaller features to avoid damaging the part during finishing.

This post-processing stage turns the supported resin prints into individual components ready for final inspection.

Not every reverse-engineering project requires 3D scanning.For this lymphatic-system component, the original geometry wa...
25/08/2026

Not every reverse-engineering project requires 3D scanning.

For this lymphatic-system component, the original geometry was simple enough to measure accurately by hand. We used those measurements to rebuild the internal form, external profile and connection features in CAD.

The component was also small and required fine detail, which made resin printing the more suitable manufacturing process.

The tools were selected around what the component required: manual measurement for straightforward geometry, CAD for controlled reconstruction and resin printing for resolution.

The correct process is not always the most complicated one. It is the one that meets the specification without adding unnecessary time or cost.

Not every incompatible component needs to be replaced.The paddle latch was already suitable for the custom trailer. The ...
23/08/2026

Not every incompatible component needs to be replaced.

The paddle latch was already suitable for the custom trailer. The problem existed at the interface between the purchased mechanism and the trailer’s thin panel.

Instead of redesigning the surrounding structure or replacing the latch, we adapted the connection between them. The printed riser established the required position, while the smaller adapters preserved the movement between the exterior lever and internal mechanism.

Sometimes the most effective solution is not a completely new product. It is a carefully designed interface that allows existing products to work together.

21/08/2026

The adapter could not be designed as an isolated spacer.

The purchased latch, trailer panel, exterior lever and internal locking mechanism had to be evaluated as one moving assembly.

In CAD, we positioned the existing hardware first and then designed the printed components around its mounting points and required movement. The transparent assembly views helped us check how the riser, lever extension and internal actuator adapter interacted across the panel gap.

This allowed the retrofit to be checked as a complete mechanism before manufacturing the parts.

The purchased latch could not operate across the gap created by the custom trailer’s thin panel.Mounting it in position ...
18/08/2026

The purchased latch could not operate across the gap created by the custom trailer’s thin panel.

Mounting it in position was only part of the requirement. The exterior lever still needed to transfer enough movement to activate the internal locking mechanism.

We designed a printed riser to support the latch and separate adapters to extend its movement across the gap. The mounting points, panel position and required actuator travel determined the final geometry.

A retrofit works when it preserves the function of the original product while making it compatible with a structure it was never designed to fit.

A simple tool can solve a very specific production problem.For this farm, inconsistent soil pe*******on meant the starti...
16/08/2026

A simple tool can solve a very specific production problem.

For this farm, inconsistent soil pe*******on meant the starting point for each seed wasn't always the same.

The solution didn't need to be complicated. It needed to be repeatable.

The final seed-bed roller combines custom 3D-printed components with bearings and a steel shaft, creating a tool designed specifically around the seed beds already being used.

It took two iterations to get there.

That's an important part of product development: complexity isn't the measure of a good solution.

If a relatively simple design can make a repetitive process more consistent, then it has done its job.

14/08/2026

The first version didn’t work.

This seed-bed roller was designed around an existing seed tray, with the roller pattern matched to the spacing and geometry of the individual cells.

But getting the geometry right in CAD was only part of the process.

The first physical test showed that the roller wasn’t penetrating the soil effectively enough.

That gave us something useful: a clear point to change.

The contact features were redesigned with sharper ends, the roller was produced again and the assembly was retested.

The revised version achieved the pe*******on needed while still tracking correctly across the seed bed.

That test–adjust–test cycle is often where the final geometry actually gets determined.

A seed-bed roller that rolls isn't necessarily a seed-bed roller that works.For this agricultural product-development pr...
11/08/2026

A seed-bed roller that rolls isn't necessarily a seed-bed roller that works.

For this agricultural product-development project, the requirement was to improve the consistency of soil pe*******on before seeds were inserted.

We were given the existing seed beds to work from. Their geometry set the constraints.

The roller had to:

align with the existing cell pattern
maintain that alignment across the bed
travel from one end to the other
avoid interference between adjacent features
pe*****te the soil consistently

Our first design didn't achieve the required pe*******on.

Testing showed that the contact points needed to be sharper, so the roller geometry was revised rather than simply accepting the first design because it fitted.

The second iteration worked.

The final assembly combined the 3D-printed roller and bed with bearings and a steel shaft to create a functional tool for more consistent seedling production.

Specification → Constraints → Testing → Geometry.

The first design fitting isn't the same as the final design working.

Address

Corner Of Faraday & Julius K Nyerere Street
Windhoek

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

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