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Jun 04, 2025

Turning a Treadmill Into a Functional 3D Printer is Actually a Great Idea, Here's Why - TechEBlog

3D printing’s always been stuck with a pesky size limit—your average printer’s cramped build area forces makers to slice big designs into awkward chunks, gluing them together like a clumsy puzzle.

3D printing’s always been stuck with a pesky size limit—your average printer’s cramped build area forces makers to slice big designs into awkward chunks, gluing them together like a clumsy puzzle. It’s a pain, and the results often scream compromise. But what if you could churn out massive creations in one shot without needing a warehouse-sized machine? Makers Ivan Miranda and Jón Schone spotted a treadmill—yep, that gym staple—and turned it into a mind-bending 3D printer that spits out giants, like a two-meter girder or even a full-blown kayak.

Miranda and Schone had a lightbulb moment: why reinvent the wheel with a custom conveyor when a treadmill’s already got a moving belt? They nabbed a gym-grade treadmill, complete with a beefy frame and a belt built for endless loops, but this wasn’t just bolting a print head onto fitness gear. That belt became the printer’s bed, a endlessly rolling platform that shuffles prints out of the way as they grow, unlocking a build length that’s basically infinite.

A technology, gadget and video game enthusiast that loves covering the latest industry news. Favorite trade show? Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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