Build Your Own 3D Printed, USB-Powered Mini Vacuum Cleaner

Loann Boudin is a French student and dedicated maker, and he decided he needed a mini USB vacuum cleaner, but rather than take the obvious route and head to the electronics store to purchase one, he decided to design and 3D print one himself.

Loann Boudin

According to Boudin, spending hours making things on his desktop from plastic, wood and various electronic parts made rather a mess.

“I needed a small and efficient device to clean the mess, so I decided to design and make my own,” Boudin says. “This mini vacuum cleaner is very helpful. I can now clean my laptop keyboard, my desk, and all the small fragile items I collect.”

So with a small, RE-140 DC motor commonly found in toys, an old USB Apple cable from an iPhone 5, a 6 x 12 mm switch, some LEGO pieces, a tea bag for use as a filter, and a 3D printer, Boudin set to work.

He says the most critical part of a vacuum cleaner is the turbine, so after examining several turbines from handheld vacuum cleaners left over in his toolbox, he ultimately used SolidWorks to design one that would fit his application and design.

His mini USB vacuum cleaner includes just seven printed parts: a top cover, a motor holder, a pair of turbine parts, a turbine cover, a filter holder, and a dust collection tank.

Boudin says that, while he doesn’t have a 3D printer of his own, he did some research into the 3D printing service 3D Hubs and found a hub just 1.4 miles from his home. Rather than use the local hub, though, he decided to take advantage of a Prusa I3 3D printer owned by an electronics association he belongs to. He used Repetier and Slic3r to drive the 3D printer.

What Boudin came up with is an amazingly professional looking device. And as an added bonus, if you decide to take on the task of building one yourself, he’s provided all the necessary files to do just that on a highly detailed Instructables project.

From gathering supplies to 3D printing the key components to disassembling a tea bag for use as the filter, Boudin’s Instructable will lead you through the final assembly. Once everything is put together, just plug it in via USB and you have some concentrated cleaning power ready!

Will you build yourself a 3D printed, USB powered mini vacuum cleaner based on Loann Boudin’s design? Have you ever used 3D printing to design a practical item for use around your home? Let us know in the 3D Printed Mini Vacuum forum thread on 3DPB.com.