Design of the Week: The Holdenator Mk. 7

This week’s selection is the Holdenator Mk. 7 by designer Chris Carrick.

This is one of the many practical 3D prints donated to the public by interested designers, in this case Chris Carrick. Carrick has provided several functional designs to the public via his Thingiverse account, including a soap dish, business card case, and more. One of his designs was the Holdenator Mk. 1.

This was a simple design for a holder for hot beverages, which are all too often sold in thin paper cups that can easily burn your delicate fingers. You simply insert the hot paper cup into the Holdenator Mk. 1 and your precious digits will be safe from harm.

Now Carrick has released an improved version he’s named the Holdenator Mk. 7. Presumably there were five prototype versions developed and tested before the Mk. 7 appeared, suggesting considerable effort has been undertaken on this project.

Carrick explains the new features in the Mk. 7 design:

• “Improved coffee insulation properties have been achieved using a sleeve-like design.

• Convective heat channels have been integrated into the body to keep your hands warmer in the winter. Cool air enters the holes at the bottom of the Holdenator, is heated by the coffee, rises, and is ejected to your fingers via heat channel.

• Improved ergonomics and honeycomb textured sleeve

• Integrated bag clip for holding cookie/muffin/baked goods bags!!”

Clearly, some sophisticated engineering has been done on this important coffee project. Carrick also indicates that the Holdenator Mk. 7 can be 3D printed in a single piece without the need for support structures. Excellent!

Carrick adds:

“Warning, while this has been tested very extensively with very hot coffee without problems, PLA can get soft at quite low temperatures. ABS or Nylon may be better material choices.”

This is quite true, as PLA typically begins to soften at only 60C, far lower than the temperature found in many hot beverages. You wouldn’t want your Holdenator Mk. 7 to droop while you lift it, would you? PETG, Nylon or ABS are all excellent choices for material for this item.

Carrick describes the Holdenator Mk. 7 as the “pinnacle of coffee holding technology”, and we don’t doubt it.

All merriment aside, the Holdenator Mk. 7 is an outstanding example of leveraging 3D printing by an inventive individual to make a better mousetrap. If you have the ability to make with a 3D printer, you can transform your ideas into actual innovations.

Via Thingiverse