From Space Stations to Cat Claws: A 3D Printing Engineer’s Wild Career Move

Zach Burhop used to work on space stations—now he’s building 3D-printed prototypes for cats. As Whisker’s additive manufacturing engineer, Zach runs the lab where bold hardware ideas become reality. His journey from aerospace to pet tech has given him the best of both worlds: cutting-edge innovation and products that actually touch everyday lives. From sleek prototypes to testing cat-proof materials (including building a 3D-printed cat claw—seriously), Zach shows how fun and functional the world of 3D printing can be when your mission is solving problems like cleaning up cat poop. With Whisker’s automatic litter boxes, Zach was not only able to get rid of that unpleasant chore but also shape the future of pet care products. Step inside the lab where creativity, cats, and cutting-edge hardware collide. Thanks to Zach’s contributions, like the cat claw 3D printing project, Whisker can perform rigorous testing and develop innovative ways to adapt to pet parents’ everyday challenges. For 25 years, Whisker’s commitment to quality and innovation has been unmatched – fueled by a deep understanding of what cat parents and their cats need. Whisker’s dedicated team of engineers have worked tirelessly to improve each product iteration. Why? Because we’re cat parents too. We are engineered by cat people, for cat people. Meet the engineers, designers, and problem-solvers who are obsessed with perfecting even the smallest details, like how cats claw different materials. #3DPrinting #AdditiveManufacturing #PetTech #LitterRobot #Whisker #EngineerLife #FromSpaceToCats _______________________________________________________________ LEARN MORE ABOUT WHISKER 👉 About us: https://www.litter-robot.com/about-us.html 👉Careers: https://www.litter-robot.com/careers.html 👉Shop self-cleaning litter boxes: https://www.litter-robot.com/litter-robot.html Subscribe for more reasons to stop scooping: / @litterrobot _______________________________________________________________ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:13 Meet Zach Burhop 00:23 How it started 00:39 How being a pet parent factors in 00:56 The 3D printing lab 1:27 Working in the pet industry _______________________________________________________________ / @litterrobot Website: https://www.litter-robot.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelitterrobot/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LitterRobot/ X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/litter_robot LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/whisker/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thelitterrobot/