Dagoma launches online 3D printing clinic to fix broken toys

Barbie Signature 3D printed right arm. Photo credits: Dagoma

Repairing rather than throwing away is a fashionable idea that continues to gain momentum among consumers. Symptomatic of the makers movement, the proliferation of fablabs and other manufacturing spaces such as repair cafés or object clinics, reflects an increasingly strong desire to consume in a more sustainable way. Christmas approaching, it is an opportunity to remember that for lack of spare parts, no less than 40 million toys are still thrown away each year by the French. 7 out of 10 are after only eight months of use.

Faced with this sad observation, Dagoma, the French leader in desktop 3D printers, launched this Tuesday a platform called "Toy Rescue" which aims to offer spare parts for 3D printable toys. . The principle is simple: After listing the most frequently broken or lost parts of the best-selling toys over the past 40 years, a team of 3D designers modeled and recreated more than a hundred parts with a 3D scanner. To make them identifiable, the repair parts are in orange but can be printed in any color.

“The French love toys, they will buy millions of them again this year for Christmas. But behind the toys hides a real ecological disaster. ” Underlines Dagoma. "The goal of Toy Rescue is to enable everyone to adopt a more responsible behavior towards plastic waste by giving everyone the opportunity to repair rather than throw away".

A community of “Dagoma” makers for those who do not have 3D printers

A broken Barbie leg, your Grendizer's misplaced Fulgoro-fist? Like a 3D printing clinic for toys, Toy Rescue allows you to download repair parts divided into 4 main categories: Figurines, dolls, vehicles, board games and an "other" section including battery covers for Game Boy or Telescreen buttons. For example, the printing cost (electricity + material) for a Barbie arm is only 17 euro cents.

Once you have chosen your model, just click on your photo to access the download tab. Dagoma provides a 3D view of the file, as well as various parameters such as the printing time, the length of filament needed, the weight of the part, but also printing advice such as adding supports. Because Toy-Rescue is also a collaborative platform. Those who do not have 3D printers can turn to the “Dagoma” community of makers by filling out a dedicated form. In the same way, people who cannot find the parts corresponding to their toy can seek the help of designers to model them. The objective of this platform being to create a chain of mutual aid, the service is free. “Nobody is going to charge you for a few cents of euros in materials. But sometimes people leave a small coin to pay for the coffee as a thank you. “Explains Matthieu Régnier, co-founder of Dagoma.

Dagoma's approach echoes other initiatives aimed at combating obsolescence by facilitating access to 3D printable spare parts. We are of course thinking of Happy 3D, the Boulanger platform dedicated to household appliances, or more recently the tabling of an amendment by deputies aimed at encouraging repair by 3D printing.

On the sidelines of the project, Dagoma has also entrusted work on the design of a filament created from plastic toys that are impossible to repair. This can be used like any filament and therefore be used to repair broken toys.

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Alexandre MoussionPassionate about 3D printing, I spread the good word to democratize and open this technology to as many people as possible. News, applications, interviews... I work to show individuals and professionals the full potential of this revolutionary tool. Companies, fablabs, distributors, associations, designers, I also want to create through this site an emulation between the different actors in this field.The latest articles by Alexandre Moussion (see all)

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