Industrial designer addresses IKEA product pain points with 3D printing.

Adam Miklosi, a renowned Hungarian industrial designer, is no stranger to 3D Printing IKEA hacks. He continues to up the game with his Uppgradera Collection 3. Collaborating with German additive manufacturing studio Enable 3D, Miklosi has created five new products that can be downloaded for free and 3D printed at home.

This is the third series from Miklosi’s Uppgradera brand (see previous collection), which has already gained attention for enhancing IKEA products and rectifying any shortcomings through the capabilities of 3D printing. Miklosi’s objective is to create items that address real challenges and amplify the user experience in terms of comfort and efficiency.

During an interview with Enable 3D, Miklosi explained the meaning behind the Uppgradera brand, which translates to “upgrade” in English. His goal is to enhance IKEA products by addressing common issues and improving the user experience through hacking. As a frequent user of IKEA products, Miklosi spends a lot of time using them before sketching and ideating new solutions. He also checks reviews on IKEA’s website and other online platforms to identify the needs of customers and develop ideas based on their feedback.

3D Printing IKEA solutions to common problems

For instance, when a mug moves around on a tray, it can cause spills. That’s where the tray cup holder comes in. This holder is specifically designed to work seamlessly with the IKEA TILLGANG tray, keeping the mug securely in place and making it easy to transport from one location to another.

The cheese grater ring is specifically designed to work with the IKEA UPPFYLD grater, which features a container below to catch the cheese gratings. IKEA’s original design is practical, allowing for easy grating and storage of cheese. However, Miklosi takes it a step further with the addition of a ring around the grater. This upgrade ensures that none of the cheese bits fall out of the grater during use, making the grating process even more efficient.

This Uppgradera 3D printed hack addresses a problem we’ve previously tackled in our Hackers Help column. While the MULIG clothes rack looks great, the tiny sphere stoppers on both ends of the rack do not prevent clothes hangers from falling off. With the Uppgradera clothes rack stopper hack, a sturdy 3D printed block can be inserted over the IKEA MULIG stoppers to provide a reliable solution.

As you may have noticed, Miklosi focuses on addressing pain points when using IKEA products. This next 3D IKEA hack is no exception. The side extensions of the IKEA FROST drying rack can easily disengage from the groove, but the drying clamp rack holds them securely in place. The clamps can be removed when you need to fold away the drying rack for storage.

The final item in Miklosi’s collection is a toothbrush holder separator that can be easily inserted into the IKEA TISKEN toothbrush holder. This is a must-have for anyone seeking optimal bathroom organization.

Enable 3D founder Manuel Siskowski is excited to see how the IKEA hacker community responds to the designs, stating that this is the future of consumption, where consumers play an active role in creating the final product. He believes that IKEA’s approach to self-assembly has disrupted the furniture market and that it is now their customers who are starting a second wave of disruption.

The .stl files are open source on Enable 3D’s website. Get the files and run them through your 3D-printer or bring them to your nearest 3D printing service centers.

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