FreshTracker: a 3D-Printable Tool to Remember Expiry Dates

Do you find your fruit and vegetables go bad because you lose track of their expiry dates? Then FreshTracker is the solution for you! FreshTracker tells you the date that your produce expires, and the best part? You can CUSTOMIZE the date and title with other 3D printed pieces! It's lightweight and can be easily attached to a fridge door or drawer.

I find myself sometimes forgetting about fruit and vegetables until its too late, I need a reminder on the front of my fridge to tell me when each batch of produce expires. The FreshTracker is reusable and editable, and won't get lost like a sticky note would.

The first part of this Instructable is just the instructions for printing my FreshTracker, but if you would like to build it from scatch, scroll down to the bottom!

• 3D printer that prints .stl files
• Tweezers or pliers

4 Files 3D Printed:

• Main Piece
• Number Dials
• Axle
• Letter Blocks

Optional: Magnet, suction cup, or tape

Send the 4 files to the 3D printer and print as scaled

Once printed, carefully use tweezers or pliers to remove the excess filament support

Slide the number dials into the larger rectangular slot of the main piece

From left to right:

• Dial with 0 and 1 (2 sides)
• Dial with 1 to 9 (9 sides)
• Blank wheel
• Dial with 0 to 3 (4 sides)
• Dial with 0 to 9 (10 sides)

Slide the axle through the circular slot of the main piece and all of the dials to the circular slot on the other side of the main piece

Slide the letter blocks into the smaller rectangular slot of the main piece to spell out the produce you want to keep track of (ex: peach, banana, tomato, etc)

Using tape, a suction cup, or a magnet (if you have a magnetic fridge), attach FreshTracker to the front or side of your fridge, or to the front of a fridge drawer. Never let produce go bad again!

Each set of 1 Main Piece file, 1 Number Dials file, and 1 Axle file makes 1 FreshTracker that tracks 1 type of produce. To track multiple types of produce, print more sets of these 3 files. Each Letter Blocks file prints multiple copies of each letter, so 1 Letter Blocks file can supply multiple FreshTrackers.

Start with a rectangular base framed with equal width rectangles (see sketch). Make sure you record the length and width of this rectangle for your future reference. My entire rectangle was 6.5cm x 4cm, and the each narrower rectangle was 0.5cm x the adjacent side length of the larger rectangle.

Extrude the side and back smaller rectangles upwards (I did 3cm). Next select the entire base rectangle and extrude it downwards (I did 0.5cm). Now you have a box with an opening at the front (see box). Extrude the top of the box upwards, I did 0.5cm.

Create an offset plane (no displacement) on one side of the box. Create a sketch with a centre diameter circle, I made mine 1cm in diameter. Ensure that your circle is centred in the OPENING of the box, not centred on the face (see side view). Extrude (cut) this circle all the way through to the other side of the box, this is where your axel will slide in!

Create an offset plane (no displacement) on the top of the box. Create a sketch as shown in the image. Extrude the front rectangle by a small amount (I did 0.5cm), make sure it joins seamlessly with the bottom box. Extrude the middle part of the box by a longer amount, I did 1.6cm. Finally, create the same offset plane as earlier in this step, but move it to the top of the longer extrusion. Extrude the whole rectangle (I did 0.5cm). You should now have a piece that looks like the above photo.

Final optional step of the main piece! Create an offset plane on the front face of the box. Create a sketch on this plane, and add text "Month" and "Date". Extrude (cut) the text inwards (I did 0.2cm).

In a new file, create 5 circles with a diameter the same length as the large opening in your large piece (mine was 3cm). Inside of each circle, create a smaller circle with a diameter the same length of the circular axle hole.

On one circle, add lines connecting the edges of the circle to give the it 10 sides

On the second circle, give it 9 sides

On the third circle, give it 4 sides

On the fourth circle, give it 2 sides

Leave the fifth circle as a circle

Extrude the ridged wheels upwards, I did mine 1cm. Make sure you can fit the width of all 5 wheels in the large opening of your main piece.

Create an offset plane on each of the sides. On each plane create a sketch with a digit, and extrude (cut) the digit, I did 0.2cm

10 sided dial: 0 to 9

9 sided dial: 1 to 9

4 sided dial: 0 to 3

2 sided dial: 0 and 1

In a new file, create a circle with a diameter a few millimeters smaller than the circular opening of the main piece (my main piece was 1 cm, my axle was 0.95cm. Extrude the circle to the width of the main piece (mine was 6.5cm)

In a new file, create squares that would slide into the smaller rectangular opening of the main piece (mine were 1cm x 1cm). Extrude (new body) the squares downwards (I did 0.5cm) Add a letter on each block, and extrude (cut) the letters into the blocks (I did 0.2cm). Congratulations, you're done!

Follow steps 1-4 to print and assemble your homemade FreshTracker!