Opportunities From Failure
While failure is never a welcomed event, it is an inevitable part of life. Throughout my engineering career, I have looked at failure as an opportunity for refinement.
In this example, I use the failure of my coffee grinder’s base to design a replacement that is: 1) stronger and 2) easily reproduceable using a 3D printer.
I would like note that a strong foundation is always a plus when recovering from failure. Shout-out to Braun for designing a fantastic coffee grinder! During my repair I found that my Braun Aromatic Coffee Grinder was made in 1980 and is still running strong 40+ years later! Amazing! ✨
YEAR: 2021
ROLE: Rapid Prototyper
STATE: Finished Product
COLLABORATORS:
Independent Project
Strategy
The replacement part was created using caliper measurements of the broken base’s geometry.
The final design was split into two parts to optimize for 3D-printing. This approach aimed to improve the fidelity of the print by:
1) Increasing surface area between the part and print bed.
2) Reducing overhang distance in the part’s geometry.
The replacement part was modeled in Solidworks and printed using a Prusa i3 Mk2.5S. The two pieces were connected using two M3 square nuts, and two 10mm M3 hex-head bolts.
The models of the replacement base can be found in the DOWNLOADS section on this page!
Photo: Solidworks assembly models of the replacement base.
FINAL DESIGNS
Reassembly using the replacement base was quick and easy! Black filament was chosen for the part to complement the black Braun logo and grinding button.
As of creating this page (June 2023), I am still using my Braun Aromatic Coffee Grinder for my daily coffee routine. There seems to be no sign that my coffee grinder is going to be stopping soon! ☕
Photo: The fully assembled, 3D-printed replacement base for my Braun Aromatic Coffee Grinder.
Photo: My Braun Aromatic Coffee Grinder as it stands today <3