Flex printed pressure-relief cushion V2

Pressure Relief Cushion V2: Enhanced Compatibility & Comfort

Tailbone issues and pressure points are a common struggle for anyone whose job requires long hours of sitting. Standard office furniture often falls short, and while medical cushions provide relief, they frequently introduce new problems like heat buildup & sweating

I wanted to create a solution that could help more people facing these challenges. This second version of the pressure relief cushion ensures that a wider range of printers can reproduce it—it is slightly flatter and smoother, allowing it to be printed in a smaller size and integrated more easily into various chairs

Mastering Firmness through Print Settings

The main challenge was creating reliable, different firmness levels without a TPU-capable multi-material printer. Instead of switching filaments or switching height, flow, and extrusion width only, changing infill percentages became an option due to the flatter size — it also makes varying the cushion easier

By using several modifiers to define specific zones, I achieved the following setup:

• The Foundation: Using a 0.6 mm nozzle and a default flow of 0.96, I started with a 0.3 mm layer height and 0.6mm extrusion width.

• Structural Stability: I have tapered a single perimeter to a height of 15mm so that the rear section is stabilized while the front section remains flexible Important: The infill anchor must be set to 0 in perimeter-free areas to avoid serious stringing

• The Comfort Layer: I switched to an 8% gyroid infill for the first 20.5mm due to its excellent three-dimensional load behavior. I then increased it to 10%, so that only the softer infill is present in the load-bearing areas, while the areas relevant to positioning are slightly firmer

Stability & Results

I also integrated a small “roll” at the tuber edge to keep the cushion stable even on chairs with steep seat angles

The result is a cushion that fits various chairs, breathes well, and performs exactly as intended. The gyroid structure is comfortable enough to be used without a fabric cover, which maximizes airflow

Quick Summary:

• Optimized V2: Flatter and smoother for better compatibility with small printers and diverse chair shapes

• Flexibility Control: Managed via infill, flow, and extrusion width for better adhesion and shorter print times

• Stringing Fix: For perimeter-free printing, set the infill anchor to zero

This is not a certified medical product. The design is personalized and may require adjustments for specific needs. I am working on a split, stickable version to make this accessible to even more makers.

Happy flex printing!