The Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival (SMRRF) is an annual event that celebrates the innovative and community-driven spirit of the 3D printing world. Named in honor of Sanjay Mortimer, a key contributor to the community, SMRRF highlights the latest advancements in 3D printing technology, featuring workshops, presentations, and exhibitors. Attendees at SMRRF can expect to see many different 3D printers, engage with creative designers and experts in the field, and gain insights into the future directions of this rapidly evolving technology.
This Guide Covers
- About SMRRF
- SMRRF 2026 Highlights by Max Funkner
- SMRRF 2024 Highlights by Richard Hirst
- SMRRF 2023 Highlights by Max Funkner
What is SMRRF?
Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival
– About Sanjay Mortimer. Sanjay Mortimer, a founding member of E3D, was a legendary figure in the industry, significantly contributing to the revolution of FDM 3D printing.
Sanjay tragically passed away on the 27th of December 2021. This triggered a chain of charity events in the 3D printing community. In a couple of years, the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation (SMF) got officially registered, and The Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival (SMRRF) took place in Oxford, UK for the first time.
– About RepRap Festivals. RepRap was invented by Adrian Bowyer in February 2004. The word RepRap is short for Replicating Rapid-prototyper – a self-copying 3D printer. As 3D printers became more accessible, more people joined the community and started celebrating the movement by organizing similarly named events. In the US, such 3D printing events are very popular. In our events table, you can find previous festivals with featured highlights and future festival dates.
As usual, we will update this guide and bring more content from year to year. Here is our brief coverage of the past SMRRFs.
SMRRF 2026 Highlights
by Max Funkner
SMRRF 2026 once again brought the RepRap community together at Manchester Metropolitan University for two packed days of makers, engineers, students, and companies celebrating 3D printing. The event welcomed around 1,300 visitors over the weekend, with 50 exhibitors and 36 content creators taking part. The Lord Mayor of Manchester also visited the festival. Continuing its mission to support the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, the community raised an impressive £113,000 through fundraising activities. As always, SMRRF blended hands-on engineering, live demonstrations, and community shows, with highlights ranging from DeathRacer battles to industry leaders discussing the latest developments in desktop 3D printing.
Photo: Max Funkner
Showcasing Technology Through Creator Projects
Events like SMRRF are a perfect place to showcase what modern 3D printing technology is capable of to both enthusiasts and newcomers. A good example was the Snapmaker U1 running live at the event, printing parts of the impressive fairytale land, castles, and a moving tram display by Fulv, which beautifully demonstrated the printer’s capabilities.
Photo: Max Funkner
Fulv’s setup was exceptional, and it would be easy to lose hours there if I let my inner child run wild. After browsing Fulv’s models on Cults, I’m already tempted to print a few myself. I just need to unpack my Snapmaker U1 first.
DeathRacers Arena: From Kit to Battle
Almost a year ago, after seeing the countless DeathRacers shows shared by Sam Prentice, I couldn’t resist and got my hands on a DeathRacers kit from BigTreeTech. Building the machine turned into a fun journey that contributed to several articles featuring different 3D printers and materials. At SMRRF 2026, the project finally culminated with my Piranha DeathRacer entering the arena and bravely taking part in three battles.
The moment the 3DWithUs DeathRacer gets decapitated – unmute to hear the audience cheering!
For those curious about the full journey, the nearly year-long story of building and evolving this DeathRacer can be followed through a chain of quote tweets on X, starting from the moment the kit arrived to the final battles at SMRRF 2026.
The small tracked machine held its ground well, surviving all three rounds with only minor cosmetic damage and adjusting/tightening gears needed. Like many projects showcased at SMRRF, the DeathRacer perfectly captured the spirit of the event: creative engineering, friendly competition, and a lot of fun.
Live Shows and Community Entertainment
Beyond the raffle draws, SMRRF 2026 also featured a series of live shows that kept the audience engaged throughout the weekend. One of the highlights was the Ultimate Additive Manufacturing Quiz hosted by Joel Telling, also known as the 3D Printing Nerd. The quiz brought together makers, engineers, and enthusiasts to test their knowledge of additive manufacturing, with plenty of laughs and some excellent prizes for the winners. Another entertaining segment was ‘Heat in the Hot Seat hosted by Grant, 3D Musketeers, where participants, company representatives and content creators faced ‘hot’ questions and challenges, adding an extra layer of ‘souce’ to the festival atmosphere.
Anthony from Prusa was the culprit behind the magic, a remote-controlled moving filament spool. For a while I could not understand who was actually controlling it until I spotted Anthony sitting next to Grant and revealing the clever RC spool setup during the show.
Industry Leaders Discuss the Future of Desktop 3D Printing
Beyond the maker showcases and community activities, SMRRF 2026 also featured talks from industry leaders sharing insights into the evolving landscape of desktop 3D printing. Cedric Mallet, CEO of BambuLab Europe, spoke about the development of MakerWorld and some of the challenges the platform faces, particularly the growing presence of AI-generated models. During the talk, he highlighted that MakerWorld, now one of the leading model repositories in desktop 3D printing, has surpassed 1 million models and 15 million users. Cedric also mentioned several existing and upcoming programs supporting the community and announced plans to launch a designers’ workshop in Europe to help creators grow within the ecosystem.
Photo: Max Funkner
With dedicated presentation areas, exhibitor spaces, and an engaged audience, SMRRF provided an excellent platform for both makers and industry leaders to share ideas, showcase projects, and discuss the future of open and collaborative 3D printing.
Meanwhile, I Kept Exploring and Testing 3D Printed Shoes
My digging into 3D printed shoes continues. At SMRRF, I came across several interesting examples and had a great chat with David Tobin about his D7 shoes. I also had the chance to test the Flux shoes by PollyFab again. In addition, the Siraya Tech stand showcased several shoes printed on FDM machines using flexible TPU materials.
SMRRF 2026 Conclusion
SMRRF 2026 was not only vibrant on the show floor but also widely shared across social media. The event was particularly active on platforms like Instagram Stories and X, where the #SMRRF hashtag and updates from the official account kept the community engaged throughout the weekend. Even on LinkedIn, the festival appeared in a more modest but still meaningful way, reflecting the different audiences each platform attracts. For those who couldn’t attend in person, social media offered a window into the energy, creativity, and community spirit that make SMRRF such a special event in the world of open-source 3D printing.
SMRRF 2024 Highlights
by Richard Hirst
My first visit to SMRRF, a local event in Manchester, was a delightful experience. It was a melting pot of seasoned users and novices, offering a diverse range of booths to explore, unveiling some remarkable new products, and featuring influential figures who shared their knowledge through talks and fundraising activities. No matter your level of expertise, there was something for everyone at SMRRF.
It was a thrill to connect with fellow 3D printing enthusiasts and talented model designers at the event. The platform it provided for renowned companies to showcase their latest and established products, including E3D, Diamond Back, Positron, Pursa, Bigtreetech, Poly Maker, 123 3D, and Cocoa Press, LDO Motors, was truly exhilarating.
Photo: Richard Hirst
It was a great show to witness both recently unveiled and upcoming 3D printing technology. In the image above, you can see the upside-down printing from Positron3D. Also featured was the newly announced Prusa Core One. Anycubic showcased their fully enclosed multicolor Kobra S1, along with the second generation of Cocoa Press performing chocolate 3D printing in action.
Then, there were the influencers and model designers like 3DPrintBunny and Fulv, Grant from 3D Musketeers, TheRealSamPrentice, Repkord and others. These individuals are influential figures in the 3D printing community, known for their innovative designs and contributions to the field.
3DPrintBunny, TheRealSamPrentice, Fulv, HueForge
Photo: Richard Hirst
Photo: Natalie Cheesmond
3DPrintBunny and stlDenise3D finally finished the Layer Connections Community Artwork Project that traveled with them across various RepRap festivals, with more than 500 people participating and 3D printing tiles from around the world. Sponsored by Thangs and Bambu Lab.
Several organisations bid for the artwork and when the auction was completed the Community Interest Company 3D360 won the prize with a bid of 750 GBP (approx $1000 USD) which was donated to the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation.
The event also featured entertaining fundraising activities. Grant from 3D Musketeers took pies to the face for donations, which was both hilarious and heartwarming to watch.
Photo: Richard Hirst
As usual there were ‘Death Racers’ with TheRealSamPrentice, a thrilling and competitive event that added to the fun and community spirit of the event.
Photo: SMRRF
SMRRF 2024 Conclusion
On the official SMRRF 2024 page, you can access detailed statistics showcasing the tradeshow’s outcomes. The event attracted 1000 visitors and featured 75 exhibitors. Through the collective generosity of the 3D printing community, the festival successfully raised £94,000. These funds will significantly support neurodiverse young people in STEM fields while continuing to honor Sanjay’s legacy. Additionally, a variety of fundraising activities, such as an online auction, a quiz show, pie face madness, and raffles, collectively contributed over £18,650 to the total raised.
SMRRF 2023 Highlights
by Max Funkner
As I have visited many 3D printing trade shows before, in comparison, the biggest impression for me was the atmosphere. The SMRRF had such a friendly atmosphere that the festival felt like one big family. It was mind-blowing to see so many awesome creators and niche influencers in one place.
Clockwise: String Art by 3DPrintBunny
Dynamax Ball by Allie (Katz Creates)
Robot Dog by James Bruton
Replica of CocoaPress in Chocolate by ErinTheSmall
The image above is just a tiny part of all the creations that were on display at SMRRF. It is possible to see more creations by following the hashtags: #smrrf or #smrrf2023.
As writing and images are greatly limited in portraying what it feels like to be at SMRRF, I would recommend watching a short live stream by Alan and Mikoláš from Prusa 3D. It is impressive how they roam and feature creators and technology. It was also funny how Joel crashed their interview and highly praised Natalie 3DPrintBunny.
Death Racers by Sam Prentice
Apart from traditional fun – chatting with creators at their booths, Sam Prentice entertained the crowd with his Death Racers show. Death Racers are 3D printable robots that not just race but fight each other – obviously to the ‘death’. The atmosphere was very friendly, and Sam is a great showman. I still cannot believe how some of these robots managed to get to 3 rounds, as each round was total carnage, with robots losing their heads and other parts.
Photo: Max Funkner
SMF Auction – by Joel Telling
If the first SMF Auction took place in June 2022 and was live-streamed on Jumblebee, raising £32,618, then this year’s auction, led by Joel Telling, was organized directly in one of the SMRRF halls and raised £21,130. It was interesting to take part in such an auction as the items are unique, signed, and even awarded by original creators. My first attempt to bid for the Commemorative T-shirt by Print City didn’t work as the bidding queue jumped and I accidentally missed the bid. I will try better next time!
Photo: Max Funkner
Charity Stream by Grant from 3D Musketeers
Another charity stream event that generated more than $6000 via JustGiving was organized by Grant from 3D Musketeers. Namely, Grant offered to cut his hair during the livestream. It was super easy to participate in such an event by donating any amount. Grant became a celebrity of the SMRRF as so many people took selfies and group pictures with him.
– SMF. The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation (SMF) is a non-profit initiative to find and assist those with neurodivergent minds to realise their potential through the field of engineering. It is possible to donate at any time via the SMF Official Website.
– E3D. And on a final note, we must mention and thank the magnificent E3D team for all the effort they put into organizing such an awesome event!
Attending or following SMRRF?
Share your highlights, photos, and experiences from the show with the community in our forum thread:
SMRRF 2023 Conclusion
It was pleasant to see that SMRRF was a success, and according to sources, the inaugural event generated approximately £55k in profits. The next event should take place next year. According to the organizers, 1,187 visitors attended the festival, and a significant amount of donations were made for a good cause. As I had never visited trade shows in such a format before, this was a remarkable experience.
