Clever way to create snap fits for 3D-Printed parts

thingiverse

I often see people struggling with snap fits on 3D-printed parts, as layers separate very easily under bending forces. Some time ago, I encountered the same problem and came up with a solution that you can see in the center of this part. A small PCB had to be held down, but snaps in Z-direction constantly broke off. So, I changed the design so that the bending elements are on the sides and follow the 3D-printed parts. This makes the snap mechanism very flexible yet still tough. Maybe I will create a better part to demonstrate the principle, but this is what I had available, and I just wanted to share this trick with you.