Additive manufacturing is great for speed and customization. The problem is that design work can still slow everything down. Traditional CAD tools demand expertise, time, and iteration cycles that can slow even the most agile teams. As a result, many organizations struggle to fully scale their 3D printing capabilities beyond small, specialized groups.
At CADimensions, we look for tools that help manufacturers get more value from additive manufacturing without adding unnecessary design steps.
This is where Trinckle’s Additive App Suite introduces a different approach. Instead of relying on complex modeling software, it reimagines design as a series of guided, application-driven workflows. Engineers—and even non-experts—can generate production-ready parts by simply adjusting parameters, without ever opening a CAD program.
The result is a shift in how additive manufacturing is used: from a specialist tool to a more accessible, scalable process embedded across teams. Let's take a look at what the Additive App Suite has to offer and where it can be used in manufacturing processes.
First up is the Photo-to-Outline tool. By simply taking a photo with a couple of reference marks in the background, outlines of tools, parts, and more can be traced and roughly modeled for layouts, shadow boards, and other Trinckle Apps.
Step 1: Take your photo. Step 2: Verify the outline. Step 3: Generate the model!
Once the model has been generated, it can be transferred to other Apps, such as the Clamping Jaws tool.
The Clamping Jaws tool allows users to quickly generate custom clamp jaws to precisely hold almost any workpiece in a few easy steps. First, select what type of vise the part will be held in then orient the workpiece.
A properly oriented workpiece.
Next, define the overall dimensions of the jaws and generate the custom clamps. All that remains is to label each jaw, add a workpiece offset to account for any tolerance variation, and export the file! Files can be exported in .STL or .STEP formats for use with GrabCAD Print and a variety of other slicing softwares.
A set of custom clamping jaws that are ready to export from the Clamping Jaws App.
Not only did Trinckle develop a tool to accelerate workpiece holding design, but they also developed an application to help keep all of your tools themselves organized! It's time for the Shadow Boards App to be in the spotlight. Shadow boards are used across a wide range of industries to help keep tools, instruments, and workspaces organized. They can be used to help keep track of inventory as well, so it is easy to tell when something needs to be replaced or refilled.
Using the Shadow Boards App is just as easy as using the Clamping Jaws App. Start by importing the objects you want to hold in either an .STL, .3MF, or .STEP file format. Next, choose how the objects are laid out and set the overall size of the board.
A scaled visual of tool layout and shadow board size.
Finally, the cavities are generated based on the outline of the objects, and the file is ready to be exported and printed! Just like that, every tool has a designated place and the days of searching your whole workspace are gone!
A completed shadow board design ready to be 3D printed.
Down the same avenue of organization, maybe a shadow board isn't quite what your workflow is looking for. Does your process utilize a lot of aerosol cans or other items that tend to tip over and roll off the table? If so, then the Stabilizer App might be for you!
In a single step, circular stabilizers can be designed to fit any can or circular part with ease. Simply specify the diameter, height, and chamfer angle to fit your needs, and a stabilizer file is ready to download and print. While this may seem like a simple quality-of-life object to design, going through the motions of modeling it in a CAD software is repetitive and time-consuming. Try out the Stabilizer App to speed up the process and save yourself some time!
A completed stabilizer design ready to be 3D printed.
Taken together, these tools highlight what makes Trinckle’s Additive App Suite compelling: it removes friction from the design process without sacrificing practical value on the shop floor. Whether it’s capturing geometry from a simple photo, generating custom workholding, organizing tools with shadow boards, or solving small but persistent workflow challenges like unstable parts, each app focuses on speed, usability, and real-world impact.
More importantly, the suite demonstrates how additive manufacturing can move beyond a niche capability and become a scalable, everyday solution across teams. By lowering the barrier to design, Trinckle enables more people to participate in creating functional, production-ready parts—unlocking efficiency gains that traditional CAD-centric workflows often limit.
This is only a subset of what the Additive App Suite offers. In the next blog, we’ll explore additional tools and use cases that continue to push the boundaries of accessible, application-driven design for additive manufacturing.
Do you need CAD experience to use Trinckle’s Additive App Suite?
No. The apps are built around guided workflows, so users can create printable parts by adjusting parameters instead of modeling from scratch.
What types of parts can teams create with Trinckle?
Teams can create clamping jaws, shadow boards, stabilizers, layouts, fixtures, and other additive manufacturing tools.
Can Trinckle files be used with GrabCAD Print?
Yes. Files can be exported in STL or STEP formats for GrabCAD Print and other slicing software.