When adhesive jams an extrusion machine, production stops until someone digs it out. The client had a rough sketch of the tool they wished existed — and no way to buy it, because nothing like it is made.
The challenge
The tool had to reach into the machine, bite into cured adhesive, and pull it free — without damaging the equipment or the operator’s wrist. Grip, reach, and tip geometry all mattered, and the only specification was a basic sketch backed by verbal descriptions of the jam.
Our approach
We translated the sketch into CAD and iterated with the client in hardware, not slideware. The first concept used a smooth tapered spike; handling the printed prototype reshaped the conversation around how the tool actually bites and pulls.
The revised design added a threaded, stepped profile to the shaft so the tool threads into the jam and extracts it, with a T-handle sized to the operator’s grip.
- CAD model built directly from the client’s sketch and conversations
- Printed prototypes used to evaluate hand-grip fit and function
- Threaded shaft revision for positive engagement with the jam
- Fast FDM iterations between feedback rounds
The outcome
The finished tool meets the client’s specification for hand-grip fit, form, and function — a purpose-built answer to a problem no catalog tool solved.
From basic sketch to working hardware took a handful of iterations, each one printed, handled, and judged in the real grip it was designed for.
