Nokia has released files suitable for use in 3D printers to build interchangeable casings for its Lumia 820 smartphone. The "3DK" comes with the files needed for printing, as well as guidance on was materials should be used for the case, suggestions on how to create a unique case, and best practices for the project.
This release makes Nokia the first major phone company to provide this kind of asset to its users. On its official blog, Nokia Community and Developer Marketing Manager called 3D printing "the sequel to the industrial revolution" but lamented that it would take "somewhat longer to arrive than some people anticipate" for most users.
Electronista spoke with a materials engineer about Nokia's 3DK, who told us that the material users need to use in the cases needs to be carefully selected, and that Nokia's guidelines were good for most users. He called the case design "somewhat over-engineered" which gives users a wide engineering tolerance to work with when designing cases.
