Xem Studiomeasured geometryLibrary › Joinery › 3D-print connectors ·
Living hinge (flexure hinge)
How thick should a 3D printed living hinge be? · Hardware · basis: Xem Studio design — geometry computed in the generator from traditional proportions
Also called: living hinge, living hinge 3d print, living hinge thickness, flexure hinge, print in place hinge thin, bisagra viva, bisagra flexible, Filmscharnier, Festkörpergelenk
Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.
- length
- 60.0 mm
- width
- 40.0 mm
- height
- 3.0 mm
Notes
- Woodworking joint drawn for 3D printing: the parts lock together by shape, so a print can be joined without glue or screws. Drawn at true size with the parts line to line (zero gap) in their assembled position — add your printer's fit allowance to the mating faces (your AI or slicer can do this).
- A thin flexible web between two thick parts: lids, cases, clips and boxes in one print. Polypropylene (PP) survives thousands of bends; PETG a few dozen; PLA cracks quickly.
- Print it flat with the web on the bed and the layers running across the hinge line, so each layer bends rather than splits.
Living hinge size chart
| dimension | value |
|---|---|
| stock | 3 mm plates, 40 mm wide |
| parts | hinged plate |
| web | 0.5 mm thick, 6 mm long, at the bottom face |
| bends | about 180° in PP or TPU, a few times in PETG |
| assembles | prints flat, one piece |
| holds | two halves of a box, lid, clip or case together, hinged |
Where the files are
Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.
| Xem Studio | Joinery design (geometry computed in the generator from traditional proportions) | web | Xem Studio design |
Free files
★ Free files 2 parts. Xem Studio design: free to use, print and sell things from; not to be republished as files. Xem Studio Design License. index.json
| living-hinge-hinged-plate | Two 3 mm plates joined by a 0.5 mm web, 6 mm long | STEP · STL |
| living-hinge-assembled | All parts in their assembled position (each part its own solid) | STEP · STL |
https://xemstudio.com/mcp to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client (free, no account, one minute) and it can look up exact sizes, mating fits and free STEP/STL from every chat.Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=living-hinge
Fits with
Questions
How thick should a living hinge be?
0.3–0.6 mm for PP or PETG; 0.5 mm here, 6 mm long.
What filament is best for living hinges?
Polypropylene (PP), then TPU; PETG lasts a few dozen bends; PLA cracks.