TekRex Case Study: Thinkery Piggy Banks

Welcome to our next installment in TekRex’s case studies video series. Here at TekRex, our focus on our clients’ success has led to some remarkable solutions, some of which we’ll dive into here.

This case study comes from Thinkery. Located in Austin, Texas, Thinkery is an interactive children’s museum with a focus on STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art and math. They were hosting their annual fundraiser for hundreds of supporters and wanted to create a small run of 3D-printed, geometric models of the museum’s flying pig mascot as table centerpieces.

With the fundraiser fast approaching, they needed 50 units and quickly. The Thinkery team provided a preferred color palette and paper model, which allowed TekRex to create several iterations for a functional piggy bank. After calculating print time on multiple machines and comparing potential quality tradeoff, it was decided that the Prusa i3 MK3 would provide a cost-effective solution perfect for the nonprofit’s short timeline.

The addition of a 3D-printed flexible plug made these centerpieces a hit. The models were auctioned off with all proceeds benefiting Thinkery. With the help of the piggy banks, their event was hugely successful and the TekRex team was happy to contribute to Thinkery’s mission to equip and inspire the next generation of problem solvers.

Watch the video below to see how we utilized our 3D Production Optimization services to help design and produce the functional piggy banks.