We thought that making it could be just as enjoyable as eating it, so this time we produced a watermelon puzzle with a 3D printer. The result was a colorful puzzle, every detail of which we shaped with a 3D printer.
We can't find puzzles of every image we see and like on the market. However, thanks to 3D printing technology, we can both experience the process of creating a puzzle and produce our own puzzle of any image we desire. This puzzle, unlike classic cardboard or paper puzzles, has a structure similar to Lego, where the pieces fit together. However, the pieces are designed to fit into the base plate rather than into each other.
After completing the puzzle, you can remove the pieces from the board and separate the board from its connection points to turn it into a highly portable puzzle set. It has a practical design that allows you to easily transport it wherever you want.
All pieces were produced with a 3D printer. It took a total of one day to complete. Each piece was printed using the Co Print KCM system on Clipper-based printers. The first step in starting the project was to upload the image we wanted to use to the Maker World platform. After this stage, all we had to do was follow the steps to introduce the image to the system and convert it into a 3D puzzle.
After logging into Maker World, you start the project by clicking on the “Create” or “Upload Image” section. We upload the watermelon image or any vector drawing we have to the system. The system analyzes the image and breaks it down into pieces. Here, the resolution and color density of the image affect the number of puzzle pieces that will be created.
Then, a screen opens where you can set the puzzle shape, piece density, and base size. We selected a 48x48 base for the watermelon puzzle. We directed the system to print it divided into small 16x16 squares according to this measurement. The system indicated that the 48x48 base size could be created using a total of 9 16x16 squares.
The watermelon puzzle was downloaded in sliced form and in .3mf format, compatible with our slicer program. The next step was to begin the printing process with a 3D printer. Cylindrical, long, white connection rods were produced to allow the squares on the base to be connected to each other. These connection rods were designed to fit into three holes on each side of the squares. This made it easy to connect each side of the squares to the others.
A total of 36 connecting rods were produced. However, it may be wise to produce 10 extra rods during production in case some are lost. Similarly, since the puzzle pieces are quite small, it is possible to produce spare parts in excess but not unnecessary quantities.
All materials were printed using PLA. This resulted in a sturdy, harmless, and portable puzzle.
Exactly 570 puzzle pieces were printed for the delicious inner part of the watermelon, 50 black and 12 white pieces for the seeds (the black dots in the image), and 80 dark green,5 pink and 60 beige pieces for the rind. The base plate was also produced in white along with the connecting pieces.
Whether you have one printer or three like us, regardless of the number of printers you have, everyone can see if the image they want is suitable for a puzzle at Maker World, and then all that's left is to start production with Co Print's KCM set.
Whether your printer is old or new doesn't matter; you can easily convert any image into a puzzle using the ChromaSet system on older models or the KCM set on newer printers.
Don't let anything stand in the way of your dreams. Instead, even a single Co Print KCM set will be more than enough for you.
