Print Flat, Then Bend: The Clever Approach Behind This 3D-Printed Radio Grille

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March 11, 2026 Applications 9469

Curved components with intricate structures have always been a challenge in FDM printing.

Printing at an angle consumes time and material, and removing supports often leaves behind visible marks. A recent project involving a 3D-printed retro radio used thermoforming technology to bypass these pitfalls.

The initial approach was to print the curved speaker grille directly in its final shape. To keep the front edge clean, most of the structure had to be printed "in mid-air," resulting in seven hours of printing time per grille and significant waste from support materials.

The new solution reverses the process: the grille is first printed as a flat plate, then heated with a heat gun and pressed into shape using a mold. Flat printing takes less than an hour, requires no supports at all, and dramatically reduces material usage and post-processing work.

Even more ingenious is that the grille's perforations aren't modeled—they come from the infill pattern in the slicer. By setting the top and bottom layers to zero, the internal infill structure is exposed, becoming the visible grille texture. Density and patterns can be flexibly adjusted, with three wall lines added to prevent tearing during thermoforming.

Of course, thermoforming requires patience—heating must be uniform, temperature and pressure need careful control, and the formed part must cool under pressure to maintain its shape.

From seven hours to one, from heavy supports to zero waste—this project offers a new perspective for 3D printing: sometimes, changing the sequence solves the problem. Project data and step-by-step instructions are available on the official website for those interested in trying it themselves.