3D Printed Bypass Components for Water Pipes

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Most water pipes are connected using fittings that come in a limited range of varying shapes and sizes. When a fitting breaks, or wears out, finding a new replacement fitting can be a tedious task.

Maya Ben David, an Israeli designer, has invented a new way to bypass the need for locating specific fittings by using 3D printed fittings instead. David has designed “Bypass,” a series of 3D printable pipe fittings. Each Bypass component can be printed to match existing metal parts.

With the 3D printed Bypass fittings, there’s no need to chase down the perfect piece in stores that may or may not be in stock. By using the 3D printed pieces, it is possible to create different fittings and move the pipes how we wish.

“Normally a water system has very specific standards of fittings- 90, 45 and T shape angles allowing the pipe to move only in those angles,” notes David. “By using 3d printing for designing and producing the fittings we are no longer bound by the abilities and costs of metal industry. We can create alternative fittings according to how we wish the pipes will go and how we imagine the space to be.”

The Bypass project was originally designed for the Design Underground exhibition at Benyamini gallery in Tel Aviv.