Turn the model over
Ask for a part and it opens as a 3D model in the chat. Drag to rotate, zoom in, and tip it over to check the bottom.
Kiln in Claude
Let Claude run your 3D printer.
Kiln gives Claude what it needs to design a part, check it will print, and run it on your own printer. You approve every print.
It opens right in the chat
Kiln shows its work as panels inside the conversation, so you see what Claude made before anything prints.
Watch the print live
Ask how your print is going and a live monitor opens in the chat, with its progress and the time left.
See what it costs to have made
No printer? Ask for a price, and a card opens with what it costs to have the part printed and shipped to you.
The panels show in Claude on the web and in Claude Desktop. Where a panel can’t show, Kiln hands back a link that opens the same 3D view in your browser. The live monitor needs Kiln running on the computer next to your printer.
An example conversation
Make me a hook for my headphones that screws under my desk.
The hook opens in 3D in the chat
Here it is. It fits your printer and passed the print check. Want me to print it?
Print it.
It’s waiting for your OK in the approval prompt.
You approve it
Printing. Ask me any time how it’s going.
What Kiln adds
Claude can write the code. Kiln turns it into a part.
The same job both ways, from a description to a part on your printer.
| Step | Claude on its own | Claude with Kiln |
|---|---|---|
| Make it | Writes CAD code. Seeing the shape takes a CAD program on your computer. | Kiln builds the model and opens it in 3D right in the chat. |
| Check it | A problem shows up in the slicer, or partway through the print. | Kiln checks overhangs, thin walls, warping risk, and whether it fits your printer, before anything prints. |
| Change it | Ask again and get new code. Keeping track of which version was better is on you. | Ask for a change in the same chat, and Kiln keeps every try tied to what you first asked for. Pro makes it Git for 3D: what changed, drawn on the part, and a branch for the risky idea. |
| Slice it | Export the file, open your slicer, and pick the settings. | Kiln slices it in the slicer you already have: PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, or Bambu Studio.Kiln on your computer |
| Print it | Send the file to your printer yourself. | Claude sends it to your printer, and it starts only after you say yes.Kiln on your computer |
| Watch it | Check on it in the printer’s own app. | Kiln watches every print it starts and stops it if a heater fails. A live monitor opens in the chat with the camera, progress, and pause and stop, and Claude checks the camera picture when you ask.Kiln on your computer |
| No printer? | Find a print shop, upload the file, and wait for a quote. | Ask for a price, and Kiln shows what it costs printed and shipped to you. |
| More printers | You run each one yourself. | Business runs several at once and picks the printer for each job. Free and Pro drive one at a time. |
Steps marked “Kiln on your computer” need Kiln installed on the computer next to your printer. The camera shows when your printer has one. A print can still fail, with Kiln or without it; Kiln catches what it can see before the print starts, and asks before it uses your plastic.
Two ways in
Start in the chat with nothing to install, or connect your own printer.
On claude.ai or your phone
Add Kiln as a connector and sign in once. Claude can then design parts, check them, and price them printed and shipped. To run your own printer, also install Kiln on the computer next to it.
With your own printer
Install Kiln on the computer next to your printer. Claude Desktop has a one-click installer, and Claude Code sets Kiln up from one pasted message. Then Claude can start and watch prints on your machine.
Before it prints, Kiln asks you
A print uses real plastic on a real machine, so Claude can’t start one alone. Kiln shows you the model, then waits for your yes in an approval prompt. You can say yes to one printer for a while so it stops asking, and end that whenever you like.
Questions
Can Claude 3D print?
Yes, with Kiln. Describe a part in Claude; Kiln designs it, checks it will print, and opens it as a 3D model right in the conversation. To print, install Kiln on the computer next to your printer; Claude then sends the print there and you approve it. Tested in Claude on the web and Claude Desktop.
Can Claude make 3D models?
Yes. With Kiln connected, Claude turns a plain description into a real 3D model you can turn over, measure and change in the same chat, then print or download. No CAD skills needed.
What does Kiln add to Claude?
Claude can write the code for a 3D model. Kiln builds it, opens it in 3D right in the chat, checks it will print (overhangs, thin walls, warping, and whether it fits your printer), slices it in your own slicer, and sends it to your printer after you say yes.
Which model works best with Kiln in Claude?
The most capable one your plan offers. Today that’s Claude Fable 5.1 or Opus 5.5, with Sonnet 5.5 close behind. Kiln does the checking and the printing; the model does the thinking, so a stronger model means better designs and fewer retries.
How do I connect Claude to my 3D printer?
Add Kiln inside Claude by its address, https://api.kiln3d.com/mcp, and sign in. Nothing to install. The setup steps on this page take a few minutes.
Do I need a 3D printer?
No. With the connector, Claude can design a part, check it will print, and show you what it costs to have it printed and shipped.
Does it work in the Claude phone app?
Yes, for designing and pricing parts through the connector. Starting a print needs Kiln installed on a computer next to your printer.
Will it print without asking me?
No. Kiln shows you the model, then waits for your yes before every print. You can say yes for a while so it stops asking on that printer, and end that whenever you like. Auto-print is off unless you turn it on.
Which printers does it work with?
Bambu Lab, Creality, Prusa, Elegoo, and most Klipper and OctoPrint machines. The full list is on the supported printers page.
Is Kiln made by Anthropic?
No. Kiln is independent, open-source software that works with Claude. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.
Add Kiln to Claude →Using ChatGPT? →Using Codex? →Using Cursor? →Using Gemini? →Using Grok? →Using OpenClaw? →
Kiln is independent, open-source software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.