The versatility of 3D printing is highlighted by its use in creating both highly specialized industrial components, such as rocket nozzles, and personalized everyday items, including custom footwear and even a toilet seat.
01
Dylan Banera
AI Design + 3D Printed "Dirt Bike"
If you ask Dylan Banera, the teenage bicycle designer at TBD Bikes, why he used generative design connectors and a gyroid lattice structure fill to 3D print a dirt bike frame, he would most likely answer: Because I can.
Last month, Banera showcased this aluminum 3D-printed bike frame at the annual MADE handmade bicycle show, describing it to BikeRumor magazine as an exploration based on AI design software. He completed the entire process from concept design to a rideable bicycle in just a few months.
02
Toilet Seat
Comedian and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno is a devoted enthusiast of 3D printing technology. Renowned for his extensive car collection, Leno has long been committed to applying this technology to automotive restoration and modification. His company, Big Dog Productions, maintains long-term collaborations with additive manufacturing leaders like Stratasys. But recently, he applied 3D printing technology in an unexpected place.
The legendary actor Harrison Ford, star of numerous classic films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, revealed that Jay Leno 3D printed a toilet seat for him. While being interviewed by Rachel Martin for NPR's Wild Card podcast, Ford was suddenly "interrupted" by a call from Jay Leno – who was calling to update him on the toilet seat's progress. Yes, that 3D-printed toilet seat.
Ford explained to the host that he contacted Leno because he remembered seeing a 3D printer for the first time about 15 years ago when he visited Leno's garage. "We hadn't seen each other for 12 years since he left the show, but I knew he had these 3D printers," Ford said on the podcast. "I have a toilet at home that's no longer produced, and its seat had become very ugly due to discoloration."
Despite extensive searching for a replacement – Ford even enlisted a plumber friend to help find this specific-sized toilet seat – they came up empty-handed. Finally, he had a brainstorm: 3D printing might be the solution, so he contacted Leno. "It was a tough call to make," he joked. "Hey Jay Leno, it's Harrison Ford from 15 years ago, I want you to 3D print a toilet seat for me."
Fortunately, Leno took on the project with great enthusiasm. "He was more enthusiastic than I could have imagined," Ford remarked. To our knowledge, this 3D-printed toilet seat is now installed in the bathroom next to Ford's office in Wyoming.
03
Enki Marine
Propeller Blade
What's special about this propeller blade? Although it seems to defy the basic working principles of a propeller, Enki Marine's concept rendering reveals its internal blade structure – a design that reduces weight and lowers the material cost of 3D printing a marine propeller. This project is an important part of the D.E.E.P (Digitally Efficient Propeller) program, aimed at manufacturing the world's first 3D-printed marine propeller with self-monitoring capabilities, which can track its operational performance in the marine environment in real-time. By comparing traditional casting processes with various additive manufacturing technologies, the project will help establish classification standards for additive manufacturing in the maritime sector.
04
Griphoria
Redefining Stilettos
Designer Alexander Wang collaborated with the on-demand design platform Hilos to launch stiletto heels named Griphoria using 3D printing technology. Debuting in his Spring 2026 collection, these shoes fuse multiple resin densities into a single piece, presenting a seamlessly combined sole and heel—the entire manufacturing process requires no molds, CAD files, or excess material.
The design balances functionality and elegance, featuring a micro-textured upper, a镂空 structured shoe bed, and a structurally reinforced stiletto heel. "The design inspiration stems from the contrasting conflict between 'all-terrain adaptability' and 'stiletto refinement'," Wang explained, emphasizing that the shoe aligns with his season's theme celebrating the complexity of the 'alpha female'.
05
ETH Zurich
High-Speed Multi-Material 3D Printer
At ETH Zurich, a team of students successfully developed a high-speed multi-material metal 3D printer: a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system that can simultaneously rotate the powder deposition device and gas flow nozzle during the printing process. This technology can handle multiple metals simultaneously without requiring停机, potentially revolutionizing the metal additive manufacturing industry by shortening production time and cost.
The system was developed by six undergraduate students in their fifth and sixth semesters as part of the "Focus Project RAPTURE" in the Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory, guided by ETH Professor Markus Bambach and Senior Scientist Michael Tucker. The team designed, built, and tested the printer in just nine months. While the technology primarily targets cylindrical components like rocket nozzles and turbomachinery in the aerospace sector, it also holds broad potential in mechanical engineering.
Tucker explained that the project originated from a specific challenge: manufacturing a bi-liquid fuel rocket nozzle for the Swiss Academic Space Program (ARIS). The organization is developing its own rocket with the goal of sending a vehicle into space. ARIS hopes to reach the Kármán line (the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space at 100 km altitude) within the next few years, surpassing the limits of conventional aircraft.
Rocket nozzles need to withstand extreme heat and pressure for extended periods; the ideal solution is to combine different metals. "For non-specialist organizations like our student rocket team, such multi-material technology has until now been too complex and expensive to implement," Tucker said.
The core of the RAPTURE device is a rotating platform that enables continuous high-speed printing. Unlike traditional LPBF systems that pause to spread powder for each layer, the rotating design allows powder deposition and melting to occur synchronously. This increases the production efficiency for cylindrical components by over two-thirds.
"This process is particularly suitable for rocket nozzles, rotary engines, and other components in the aerospace field," Tucker added. "These components often have large diameters and ultra-thin wall features." While the device can also produce non-axisymmetric shapes or arrays of parts, the rotational method is especially effective for cylindrical geometries.
Another key advantage is the ability to process two different metals in a single operation. Traditional systems require multiple steps and large amounts of powder (most of which becomes waste due to the difficulty of separating mixed powders), whereas the RAPTURE system deposits material only where needed, significantly reducing waste. To improve quality, the device also integrates a gas flow system that blows inert gas into the melt zone to prevent oxidation, with byproducts expelled through an outlet.
06
Creality
Nexbie 3D Printing Product Platform
At the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA), Creality launched its Nexbie 3D printing product platform. The platform first landed in the German market, currently with only a fully functional German site live. Its first product is 3D-printed shoes. These shoes are 3D printed using TPU photopolymer material and come in various colors and styles, also marking the company's first foray into lifestyle products. Its US site has also gone live, displaying various "sold out" printed products on the page.
