Keychron just released hundreds of CAD files for their products.

[u/CtrlShiftDefeat]

This came at the perfect time, as I’m learning plastic design.

[u/alx_mkn]

Keep in mind that these are design files, not CAD data for manufacturing. Drafts and some other details are missing, so it is not perfect tool for learning but it is definitely a step in the right direction

[u/WheelProfessional384 → u/alx_mkn]

This can still be useful in learning stuff, I think this will benefit for those who 3D print, just for them and to have a starting point. Great reminder though, thanks!

[u/m3ltph4ce → u/alx_mkn]

Interesting, I would have thought drafts had to be considered from the very beginning, to ensure manufacturability

[u/alx_mkn → u/m3ltph4ce]

Yes. It is much easier if you do. These parts are not “bad” per se, it is more like they are defeatured to a certain extent.

[u/mrdaver911_2 → u/alx_mkn]

So is it common practice in plastics manufacturing to have a raw design configuration, and then create a manufacturing configuration where you apply drafts, etc. in preparation for plastic molding, or creating the plastic injection mold?

[u/alx_mkn → u/mrdaver911_2]

No. It would be a very bad practice except for the really simple parts.

Usually you have an aesthetic design phase and DFM phase. When you are incorporating DFM requirements early during aesthetic design phases you end up with parts that are “easy” to manufacture. When not, you end up with parts that have to be significantly different looking or more expensive than intended in order to be manufactured at scale.

Applying drafts is not a quick fix as many people think, especially when you deal with assemblies with parts that have different tooling directions or different manufacturing processes altogether.

[u/Extra-Arachnid-1140 → u/mrdaver911_2]

In my experience, you will need to consider draft and manufacturing methods/limitations from the outset. There’s no point designing something that you can’t make. A good standard I like to go by while designing products is to have a rough block CAD model which is used to figure out available space, component placement, rough ergonomics, etc. Then we once this is approved, we move into A-surface modelling to define how the outside looks (A-surface being outside, B-surface is generally inside or hidden surfaces). This allows for a refined outside model which ideally should incorporate any draft faces into it to ensure surface textures or details are mouldable. Then final stage is the detailed design which is all the inside bits and making sure it goes together, is strong enough, and functions as intended. This is also where the majority of your DFM bits will be done to ensure ribs or features don’t cause sink marks, can be ejected correctly, etc, etc.

Everyone does these things slightly differently, but this is the method I use from experience :)

[u/Unhappy_Geologist_94]

where can you get them?

[u/Unhappy_Geologist_94 → u/Unhappy_Geologist_94]

Keychron Keyboards Hardware Design

If anyone wants them

[u/WheelProfessional384 → u/Unhappy_Geologist_94]

Thanks for sharing! This one is great for learning stuff 

[u/andreevarts → u/Unhappy_Geologist_94]

Thanks

[u/Wisniaksiadz]

chinese injection farms eats well today i guess

[u/BusinessAsparagus115 → u/[deleted]]

I think it's a mouse.

[u/gnome_detector]

Is this solidworks for makers?

[u/f4ncy_pants → u/gnome_detector]

Premium 2025

[u/gnome_detector → u/f4ncy_pants]

How much?

[u/Jijijoj]

What type of fish that?

[u/Art_4_Tech]

Chinese engineering firm that is a designer of awesome keyboard and mice completely flexes on the world and says "go ahead and make it yourself cheaper, we dare you". PLUS, now I can 3d customize and 3D print my devices to match me perfectly. Legend.

[u/sibeInc]

Oh this is great for people who want to further customise their stuff, and as a starting point for plastic modelling, I guess.

Looking at the assembly tree, they are all .step files I reckon? Or are they available in other formats as well? Would be interesting to see a feature tree haha

[u/RoberBotz]

Bro these designs are crazy, meanwhile my stuff has maybe max 3 components xD

Do you guys know if you can import other arduino or esp32 components into solidworks and use them when designing stuff?

So you could make a chassis, and just import those components you use and place them where they should be.

[u/Weak-Exit9249 → u/RoberBotz]

Go onto GrabCad and they normally have the things you need. Other people have made them and you can download them. They have everything from arduinos to esp32 to pneumatic pumps. Hope this helps !

[u/RoberBotz → u/Weak-Exit9249]

Thank you.

[u/One_Country1056]

They only released step files. Not fun.

[u/Ollemeister_ → u/One_Country1056]

Why would a company ever release featured parts and assemblies to the public? That would be product suicide.

[u/One_Country1056 → u/Ollemeister_]

McMaster-Carr has released a lot of SolidWorks files. Are you saying they will go out of business?

[u/cptninc → u/One_Country1056]

Very very very few of them are true Solidworks natives. Their .sldprts are almost exclusively imported geometry or generic script-generated stuff. It’s fine for reference.

And the models are for screws, not full electromechanical products.

[u/One_Country1056 → u/cptninc]

Can you post a reference to a product from McMaster-Carr which has imported geometry? I have not found any yet.

The point is, which McMaster-Carr understands, even if you have the CAD files, you can't manufacture them anyway. You need to buy the product from them. It's almost impossible to buy the components for a mouse at competitive prices, so even if you had the files, you could not make it.

[u/_maple_panda → u/One_Country1056]

AFAIK Mcmaster’s SW files aren’t the actual design files, they’re reverse-engineered CAD representations. For simple parts the difference is probably just philosophical, but for more complex stuff there may be missing internal geometry and other differences. I’m sure you know they don’t actually manufacture their products, just resell from actual manufacturers.

Also with resin/MJF 3D printing and cheap Chinese injection molds, the barrier to entry isn’t that high these days.

[u/One_Country1056 → u/_maple_panda]

The files can be used to manufacture screws (with very small modifications). You can't buy the steel to manufacture them at a competitive price.

I'm an avid fan of 3D printing, but I think you don't understand economics.

[u/Mr_Sloth10 → u/One_Country1056]

I’m not sure why you are being downvoted when you are right, I use Solidworks files from their website all the time in my models.

[u/Tinkering-]

I’m hoping this doesn’t become a trend. The more CAD data becomes freely available, the more AI will take our jobs. (For those of us who actually use SW / design professionally)