Case Study: Medical Modeling Group achieves fast, low-cost 4-wheel-drive actuator repair with 3D Systems

Repairing 4-Wheel Drive with Solutions From 3D Systems

3D Systems employee and medical designer Dan Sample faced an unexpected challenge when the front differential actuator on his Toyota Tacoma failed, leaving the truck stuck in 2‑wheel drive. Local shops quoted $300–$400 for the part plus roughly $600 in labor, and used replacements were hard to find — a small internal plastic gear was the only damaged component.

Using 3D Systems tools, Dan scanned the broken gear with Geomagic Capture, rebuilt and refined the model in Geomagic Freeform, and printed iterative prototypes until an ABS print from an entry‑level Cube printer proved strong enough. He installed the printed gear, restored 4‑wheel drive, and avoided a costly repair — designing the part in days and printing the final piece in under an hour.

Medical Modeling Group

Dan Sample

Medical designer