Philips debuts 3D printable components to repair products

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Philips debuts 3D printable components to repair products

Philips announced a new initiative called “Philips Fixables” which aims to encourage self-repair on some of its products by offering officially drafted 3D printable replacement components. The files are made available for free over at

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. This is where Philips plans to archive files for more official replacements that can be 3D printed at home.

This is a new idea, so only one component is available right now for download. The piece happens to be a 3mm comb for one of their shavers, but Philips assures there will be more components made available for more of their devices over time. This isn’t the release of a grand library of parts by any means, but it does showcase a shift in supporting communities in search of businesses that support repairable hardware.

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(Image credit: Philips)

(Image credit: Philips)

(Image credit: Philips)

The program has been primarily released to the Czech Republic. Both Prusa Research and LePub are partnering up to help support the program which they hope will be easily adopted by the local maker community. One of the main goals of Philips Fixables is to encourage consumers with sustainable repair options instead of seeking a replacement device altogether.

The official Philips Fixables web page has a link for anyone in the general public to submit a request to add a specific component. Philips will notify customers with a download link if the component they suggested is able to be shared to Philips Fixables. It’s not clear what sort of turnaround time to expect for these requests and whether there are limitations on what components will be made available.

According to Philips, consumers must adhere to the recommended print settings for their components to get the best results. This is the only way to ensure the replacement part is sturdy enough to stand in for a repair. Compromising on fill space for time could make or break your user experience, for example, but if done correctly, a replacement 3D print can be a useful long term solution.

Other companies have had similar programs that support right to repair initiatives. Logitech recently unveiled a repair store in partnership with iFixit, with kits available for a handful of their products that can be repaired at home rather than replaced. Only time will tell how far the open source aspect of right to repair will be taken, but for now it looks like it’s at least on the table for Philips.

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