MakerBot partners with Nokia to make 3D smartphone covers

MakerBot and Nokia have partnered to create a free downloadable 3D printing file to allow those interested in 3D printing to custom make their own phone case for the latest Nokia Lumia smartphones.

The ’’3D-printing Development Kit provides a 3D template and case specs for printing shell covers for two of Nokia's latest smartphones – the Nokia Lumia 820 and the newly announced Nokia Lumia 520.

Using the 3DK anyone with a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer can print their own shell. Nokia and Makerbot are demonstrating the exciting possibilities for 3D printing at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 25-28.

GlobalNews Wire Press release. And Nokia press release: "Our partnership with MakerBot brings the world’s first live social 3D printing experience!"

Nokia launched its 3D-printing Development Kit in January, giving 3D-printing enthusiasts the ability make new shells for the Lumia 820 smartphones.

What Will The 3D Printing Crowd Do With Nokia's Templates For The Lumia 820?

Nokia’s decision Friday to release the modelling files to allow 3D printing of the back shells of the Lumia 820 is an interesting move. Forbes reports.

Not only does it endear Nokia to the ‘physical homebrew’ community of 3D modelers, and portrays Nokia as a forward thinking and innovative company (a vital asset as they continue their return to smartphone relevancy), most importantly it’s going to let them see what the hacking community can do with this basic design.

While the majority of shells printed in this way are going to be simply for a unique colour, or to facilitate a design or etching on the back side of the smartphone, there are going to be some outlandish designs and ideas put into practice. Nokia is going to be watching the evolution of their 3D Printing Kit (The 3DK) very carefully, and the lessons learned by observing where this goes will be fed back into their own production process, benefiting everyone.

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Nokia offers '3D-printing Development Kit', enabling users to print their own custom Lumia 820 case

Nokia is giving 3D-printing enthusiasts a ’’3D-printing Development Kit’’ so they can make new shells for the Lumia 820 smartphones. GigaOM reports.

...We are going to release 3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices — everything someone versed in 3D printing needs to print their own custom Lumia 820 case.

According to GigaOM, by releasing the 3DK, Nokia is reintroducing that customizability in its hardware and potentially stimulating a whole new ecosystem that may actually feed back to its own internal development efforts — effectively outsourcing rapid prototyping to its customers.

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Sculpteo's new app lets you create your own 3D printed iPhone case

French 3D-printing company Sculpteo developed a free app called "3DPCase" that lets users design or customize their unique iPhone case.

[via 3ders.org]