Customised Mower Basket (2026)
Ross Stevens
The idea didn’t start in a lab or a corporate boardroom. It started on uneven ground—literally—on a New Zealand property where a ride-on mower was doing far more than it was ever designed for.
Like many in New Zealand’s primary industries, the owner had adapted, improvised, and made do. The mower hauled tools, fencing gear, harvested produce, and whatever else needed shifting across paddocks and gravel tracks. But the limitations were obvious: small capacity, poor durability, and attachments that never quite fit right.
That was where large-scale 3D printing entered the picture.
With access to a customised XXL 3D printer—boasting a print volume of 6.5 cubic meters—the opportunity was no longer theoretical. It became possible to design and produce a fully customised tipper basket, built specifically for that exact mower model, down to the last mounting point and fastening detail.
This wasn’t a generic add-on. The basket was digitally modelled to align perfectly with the mower’s geometry, ensuring optimal balance, load distribution, and ease of attachment. No awkward brackets. No compromise.
Material choice was critical. PET-G filament was selected for the main structure, offering strong UV resistance—essential under New Zealand’s harsh sun—and reliable outdoor performance. The design incorporated 5mm thick external and internal walls, connected through a network of corrugated ribs. This created a lightweight but rigid structure, engineered to handle demanding farm conditions.
Between the walls, a cavity was filled with polyurethane spray foam, adding further strength without excessive weight. It was a hybrid approach—combining additive manufacturing with traditional reinforcement methods—to push the limits of what 3D printing could achieve at this scale. Durability extended beyond structure. TPU rubber was used for bumpers and fastening brackets, providing shock absorption when driving over rough terrain or unloading heavy loads. Impacts that would normally stress or crack rigid components were instead softened and dispersed.
Inside the basket, a rubberised tray-liner coating protected against abrasion, mud, and moisture. On the outside, a Resene Cool Colour black finish reduced heat absorption, helping maintain material stability and prolonging lifespan.
The result was more than just a mower attachment. It was a proof of concept.
Large-scale 3D printing, once seen as experimental or niche, demonstrated real-world value: rapid prototyping, low-volume production, and complete customisation. For New Zealand’s primary industries—where no two farms are exactly alike—this level of adaptability is transformative.
Instead of adapting equipment to fit the job, the equipment can now be designed to fit the environment, the machine, and the user.
And it all began with a simple need: to make a mower do more.
This research project has been supported by the MADE group at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka and the New Zealand Product Accelerator.
Software
Cura slicer
Hardware
Custom build, large-scale FDM printer
Project Level:
Academic Research