The Cool Parts Showcase seeks innovative 3D-printed parts

The Cool Parts Showcase, a contest from CompositesWorld sister brand Additive Manufacturing Media, is currently accepting submissions of promising 3D-printed parts.

Between now and May 30, the competition invites manufacturers, designers, students, inventors and anyone with an interest in 3D printing to enter their Cool Parts.

The contest is a spinoff of The Cool Parts Show, an ongoing video series about 3D-printed end-use parts. Each episode of the show focuses on a compelling 3D-printed part, exploring how and why it was produced the way it was.

Winners of The Cool Parts Showcase will see their parts featured in an episode of the show. 

Eligible parts can be made of any material and through any 3D printing process. Past episodes of the show have highlighted components made from both chopped-fiber-reinforced polymer and continuous fiber-reinforced composites, among many other materials. The part must be an end-use component (no prototypes, molds or tools) that is currently in use or in development as a future solution. 

Parts for The Cool Parts Showcase can be entered in one of three categories:

• Best Production Part: A component or product that is currently in use and being made through 3D printing. (Think: autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) hull, electronics enclosures, consumer goods)
• Best Proof-of-Concept: A production-bound, non-prototype part that illustrates a promising solution for a particular niche. (Think: helicopter brackets, parts for a hydropower test bed, components made with unusual materials like magnets)
• Best Bespoke Solution: A customized or tailor-made item that solves a unique, one-time challenge. (Think: singular replacement parts, athlete-specific sporting goods, mobility devices like this one made for a special patient—our 2021 winner in this category, made of CF-reinforced polypropylene)

Finalists in each category will have the chance to display their parts this summer at Formnext Forum: Austin, a new conference and expo focused on 3D printing for production, scheduled for Aug. 28-30, 2023. Creators will receive an all-access pass to the event and have the opportunity to interact with attendees in a special Showcase area on the expo floor. 

Winning parts will be selected by popular vote and announced during Formnext Forum: Austin. Each category’s top part will be featured in its own episode of The Cool Parts Show. 

To enter, submit photos and information about your cool 3D printed part through FormnextForum.com by May 30. Good luck, and we hope to see you in Austin!