Philips Helps Users 3D Print Their Own Trimmer Accessories

The right to repair argument is about to get right up in your face.

Transcript

The right to repair argument is about to get right up in your face – specifically if you have a beard.

Philips has announced a new strategy to enable its customers to produce spare parts for their trimmers at home using a 3D printer.

At issue are the variety of accessories that come with a personal care product such as a trimming kit – think cutting guides, heads or combs that are small and traditionally made of plastic. When any one of these items gets lost, a replacement must be found that’s specific to the device and, even then, it’s probably a few days away.

Enter Philips Fixables, a collaboration between the personal care company and Czech-based Prusa Research.

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This effort hopes to “make fixing part of everyday life” and offers 3D-printable spare part drawings along with “clever fixes and creative upgrades, designed with sustainability and longevity in mind.”

While Philips says it is seeking inspiration from user feedback, it is using Prusa to help validate the 3D printer designs for quality and safety. It also added that users should stick to its recommendations for materials and other guidelines.

Currently, one replacement part is available via Printables and it’s an adjustable comb for the brand’s OneBlade trimmer. The recommendations listed are for a standard PLA filament. Philips warns users not to try to skimp on the amount of filament - or the print time - to avoid risking the durability of the end part.

And as the Verge points out in a recent report, it’s an exciting first step but one that must scale in order to make a measurable impact: “It’s a welcome initiative,” said the outlet, “but one that’s only going to result in meaningful improvements to sustainability if the company follows through and releases more than just a single accessory.”

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