3D Printing Workshop & Functional Design

Hands-on 3D printing work on a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, focused on functional parts, fast iteration in Fusion, and reliable print workflows across PLA, PETG, and ABS.

David CampmanDavid Campman·27 Feb, 2026·3 min read
  • 27 Feb, 2026
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3D Printing Workshop and Functional Design

I use 3D printing as a practical engineering workflow: identify a real problem, design for constraints in Fusion, print fast, test hard, then iterate. Most work is done on a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon with material and settings tuned to the job.

Why this matters

3D printing is most useful when it shortens the path between idea and working part. The value is fast iteration, custom fit, and low-cost experimentation for one-off or small-batch solutions.

Tooling and materials

  • Printer: Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
  • Design stack: Fusion for CAD modeling and iterative geometry updates
  • Materials: PLA (fast iteration), PETG (durability/heat), ABS (higher-temp and tougher use-cases)
  • Workflow: calibration checks, orientation-for-strength, profile tuning by part type

Design approach in Fusion

Most functional prints start with measurement and tolerance planning. In Fusion, I design around interfaces first (mount points, clearances, fit surfaces), then tune wall count, infill, and orientation for expected stress.

Typical iteration loop:
1) Measure target object and interface points
2) Build v1 model in Fusion with conservative tolerances
3) Print fast draft
4) Validate fit + identify weak points
5) Revise geometry and print v2/v3
6) Final print with strength-focused settings

Functional project types

  • Custom mounts, brackets, and cable-management components
  • Adapter parts and small mechanical fixtures
  • Desk/workshop organization modules
  • Replacement parts where off-the-shelf options are poor fit

Reliability notes by material

  • PLA: fastest route for prototypes and quick iteration
  • PETG: go-to for functional parts needing toughness and better heat behavior
  • ABS: useful when higher-temp resistance is needed, with enclosure-aware print strategy

What I’m improving next

  • Build a reusable parametric Fusion library for common part families
  • Document repeatable slicer profiles by material/use-case
  • Expand post-processing workflow for cleaner production-ready parts

Takeaway

The win is not just making objects—it is reducing time from problem to tested, usable part using a repeatable design-and-print loop.