From Vision to Reality: Creating without Limits with Maker's Supply

Fully harnessing the potential of 3D printers and empowering makers worldwide is crucial. Our exploration of MakerWorld has revealed a vibrant ecosystem developed by creative designers and skilled makers. Yet, we've pinpointed a shared hurdle: finding compatible non-printed parts.

The wide variety of parts greatly increases the chance of mismatches, similar to using an incorrect library in a large codebase, frustrating users. Designers often manually measure parts to create 3D models before CAD integration, a process that requires extra tools and can lead to inaccuracies for makers.

Maker’s Supply offers a comprehensive "library" of non-printed parts for both designers and makers, featuring physical and digital twins. The library contains fasteners, magnets, bearings, hardware, electronics, and tools, allows easy purchase and reference to prevent mismatches. It provides detailed dimensions and digital models, eliminating the need for manual measurements. Additionally, we offer instructions and design guidelines for specific components, streamlining the design process and saving time for creative efforts.

It is the same Bambu Lab philosophy as we use for our printers: we handle mundane details, allowing you to concentrate on creativity instead of tinkering with printer or finding parts. Moreover, we are prepared to develop specific parts if designers can't find the right ones, meeting their unique creative needs.

Maker's Supply in MakerWorld 

Maker's Supply has officially launched its very first batch of parts in the Bambu Store. The latest update to MakerWorld now includes a corresponding Bill of Materials (BOM) tool. Designers can now configure the BOM on the model upload page, allowing users who download the model to purchase the parts listed in the BOM with just one click.

This approach guarantees that the parts selected by the user match precisely the ones utilized by the designer during the design process.

Maker Combo Kit

We have compiled the most commonly used parts into a single package, called the Maker Combo Kit. It is designed to provide designers with a selection of hardware available at their fingertips, whenever a good design idea comes. Designers can either purchase it in the Bambu Lab store or exchange this kit for a discount in the Points Shop of MakerWorld using their points.

Maker's Supply Creator Incentive

Good designs promote the sales of parts, and the designers should be properly compensated for their hard work. Similar to the creator program, the model designers will earn points from parts sold by their models. We are still working on implementing this Creator Program, and until it is ready, we will use a simple approach to make sure all designers are compensated. The rules of the program are available here.

Alpha Testing Results

During our closed Alpha test, several designers kindly joined us to test the system and integrate Maker's Supply into their projects. Here are a few brilliant projects we would like to share with everyone.

Running Dinosaur Automata by Amao Chan 

Amao Chan is globally renowned for his ingenious and unique design style. Originally an artist, he developed a passion for designing animal models after being introduced to 3D printing. His creations fully showcase his aesthetic sense and solid artistic foundation, making his works both aesthetically pleasing and playfully engaging.

This Triceratops model is a cherished "treasure" of Amao, kept in his private collection for many years; it has never been released through any public channels. Originally a manually operated model, it has been transformed into an electric model using components from Maker's Supply. Link to Model.

Mini Motorized Basketball Game by Kit Crafters

Kit Crafters has repeatedly participated in and won the Maker World contests. His creations have evolved from initial kit cards to later desktop toys. The Mini Motorized Basketball Game is one of his desktop toy designs, which has been electrified using components from Maker's Supply. Link to Model.

The designer ingeniously converts the continuous motion of a motor into the reciprocal movement of a basketball hoop through a clever gear design. LED lights are added to simulate the lighting of a basketball court. Users can use Make My Sign to create banners for their favorite teams and customize the colors of the court.

STEMFIE Infinity Gears by Stemfie3D

Created by Paulo Kiefe, a pioneer in the 3D printing industry known for his collaboration with Daniel Norée on the iconic 3DBenchy, STEMFIE is an innovative open-source 3D-printed building block project. This versatile set allows users to explore a range of basic components to construct various block assemblies that illustrate core principles of physics, serving as an invaluable resource for children's STEM education.

Using the non-printed components from Maker's Supply, Stemfie3D has expanded its capabilities, fostering even more educational opportunities for young learners.The inaugural collaboration with Maker's Supply has produced a gear demonstration model that clearly explains the mechanics of gear reduction ratios. Additional projects are in the pipeline and will be unveiled soon. Link to Model.

The Future of Maker's Supply

We are deeply committed to empowering designers so they can dedicate themselves to designing models, while also enhancing the model-building experience for users. Building a library takes time, and there are numerous parts still to be included in Maker's Supply.

The current integration of Maker's Supply with MakerWorld is in its early stages and not as seamless as we would like. The affiliate tool is still under development, and at present, we largely rely on manual operations to keep it running. We will continue to refine our library and tools to turn our vision into reality.

We would love to hear everyone's feedback about Maker's Supply, so we can further refine it and improve it.