3D Printable Electronic Component Reel Replacement
While in a perfect world there wouldn’t be a reason to have to 3D print a reel, after all the parts should just come on one shouldn’t they? Unfortunately, the world isn’t that perfect and there are times when a reel gets broken, old ones get thrown away, parts come in cut tape rather than a DigiReel. When that happens is the solution to wait for a replacement order of reels to come in? Perhaps this 3D printable reel could be just what is needed to get that run going now rather than later. Perhaps you simply would like to color-code your parts library for easier identification. What ever the reason, the files are here for you.
The Prints
Support material will be necessary on Part B. It was easily removed using a screwdriver.
The Assembly
To assemble snap the two pieces together. The two halves will spin around each other but if that is a problem a few touches of CA glue can fix that from happening. Notice that there are three slots. These are not the same sizes and are meant to accommodate different sized parts. Those should be lined up correctly before placing product on the reel. After the product is on the reel this spin will no longer be an issue.
The Files
This reel is meant for 8mm tape. If a demand for other sizes arises more of these can be added. Feel free to comment below with size requests below. I will supply STL and STEP files.
178mm x 8mm Reel - Part A.stl (1.6 MB)
178mm x 8mm Reel - Part A.step (74.2 KB)
178mm x 8mm Reel - Part B.stl (1.7 MB)
178mm x 8mm Reel - Part B.step (175.3 KB)
As always,
Happy printing!
3D Printable Electronic Component Reel Replacement
Link to Printables:
Link to Thingiverse
Link to LinkedIn
Keep an eye out for more of my creations as time goes on and feel free to reply here with creations of your own.
I use Onshape to create most of my designs. If you haven’t given Onshape a shot yet perhaps you should. It is very good at allowing multiple people to make their own iterations of a project and is a real asset when you want to model from the beach 
Click below if you would like to learn more about OnShape in general.
The models provided can be printed using your prefered 3D printer and 3D printing materials. These, as well as almost any electronic component you might need, can be provided by DigiKey.