The Wedgwoodn't Turee by Michael Eden

Week one: An introduction to 3D printed design

by Nicole Swengley

In the first of three articles design writer, Nicole Swengley, explores the brave new world of 3D printed design.

The cutting-edge technology known as 3D printing is likely to shake up the collectables market as radically as it will re-shape our lifestyles. “We are at a tipping point in history where profound and radical changes in how we make things will revolutionise our lives,” says New York gallerist, Murray Moss, who curated the V&A’s show of 3D printed objects during London Design Festival last month.

This new technique belongs to a group of rapid-manufacturing technologies known as Additive Manufacturing. They all employ software packages to translate designs created as computer files into objects that are ‘printed’, three-dimensionally, by a machine. Products – from furniture to lighting, jewellery to shoes – are built up, layer by layer, and fabricated as complete units with no assembly required.

The technology embraces various techniques. Some, like 3D printing, use computer-controlled glue-guns to build up objects from fine layers of epoxy. Others employ infra-red lasers to create a solid form from a liquid such as resin (stereolithography) or from layers of fine powder ranging from nylon to titanium (selective laser sintering).

Unlike conventional manufacturing, which requires individual production moulds and tooling, 3D printers respond to computer programmes so it’s no more expensive or laborious to create 100 different objects than 100 identical ones. “It opens up completely new opportunities,” says designer Assa Ashuach whose Fly, Ai and Omi lights are available from Rabih Hage Gallery. “It allows me to make impossible objects that couldn’t be made in any other way,” says British designer, Michael Eden, whose latest 3D-printed vessels are unveiled by Adrian Sassoon at this month’s Pavilion of Art & Design show in London (12-16 October).

“You have complete freedom in terms of form and don’t have to consider how a design will be made,” adds Eden. “For younger designers, though, the technology still needs to go hand-in-hand with an understanding of materials and processes.” Indeed London’s Royal College of Art, which has its own rapid prototyping centre, encourages students to do just that while offering digital design, prototyping and manufacturing services to small businesses and individual designers in London. Facilities at Metropolitan Works’ Digital Manufacturing Centre at London’s Metropolitan University are also available to non-students. “This is a new industrial revolution and we’ve a long way to go,” enthuses Eden.

Designer Enrico Dini in studio
Designer Enrico Dini in studio



Back

 


search

 

 


Archives

September 2020 (2)
August 2020 (1)
July 2020 (1)
June 2020 (1)
May 2020 (2)
February 2020 (1)
October 2019 (1)
September 2019 (2)
July 2019 (1)
June 2019 (1)
May 2019 (1)
April 2019 (2)
March 2019 (4)
December 2018 (2)
November 2018 (4)
October 2018 (4)
September 2018 (8)
August 2018 (7)
July 2018 (11)
June 2018 (11)
May 2018 (13)
April 2018 (11)
March 2018 (12)
February 2018 (13)
January 2018 (18)
December 2017 (8)
November 2017 (15)
October 2017 (17)
September 2017 (14)
August 2017 (18)
July 2017 (10)
June 2017 (12)
May 2017 (12)
April 2017 (15)
March 2017 (15)
February 2017 (22)
January 2017 (13)
December 2016 (9)
November 2016 (14)
October 2016 (11)
September 2016 (19)
August 2016 (13)
July 2016 (11)
June 2016 (16)
May 2016 (19)
April 2016 (17)
March 2016 (9)
February 2016 (15)
January 2016 (14)
December 2015 (7)
November 2015 (15)
October 2015 (12)
September 2015 (5)
August 2015 (12)
July 2015 (16)
June 2015 (9)
May 2015 (15)
April 2015 (11)
March 2015 (16)
February 2015 (14)
January 2015 (14)
December 2014 (13)
November 2014 (15)
October 2014 (18)
September 2014 (14)
August 2014 (10)
July 2014 (14)
June 2014 (13)
May 2014 (22)
April 2014 (12)
March 2014 (12)
February 2014 (16)
January 2014 (19)
December 2013 (8)
November 2013 (33)
October 2013 (17)
September 2013 (20)
August 2013 (15)
July 2013 (6)
June 2013 (14)
May 2013 (17)
April 2013 (17)
March 2013 (16)
February 2013 (14)
January 2013 (16)
December 2012 (8)
November 2012 (20)
October 2012 (22)
September 2012 (17)
August 2012 (17)
July 2012 (22)
June 2012 (13)
May 2012 (20)
April 2012 (16)
March 2012 (28)
February 2012 (15)
January 2012 (17)
December 2011 (17)
November 2011 (24)
October 2011 (14)
September 2011 (21)
August 2011 (20)
July 2011 (21)
June 2011 (22)
May 2011 (18)
April 2011 (22)
March 2011 (18)
February 2011 (20)
January 2011 (37)
December 2010 (40)
November 2010 (41)
October 2010 (31)
September 2010 (45)
August 2010 (22)
July 2010 (24)
June 2010 (51)
May 2010 (69)
April 2010 (42)
March 2010 (60)
February 2010 (39)
January 2010 (39)
December 2009 (52)
November 2009 (38)
October 2009 (64)
September 2009 (66)
August 2009 (46)
July 2009 (54)
June 2009 (55)
May 2009 (60)
April 2009 (53)
March 2009 (64)
February 2009 (52)
January 2009 (58)
December 2008 (51)
November 2008 (43)
October 2008 (72)
September 2008 (86)
August 2008 (46)
July 2008 (74)
June 2008 (67)
May 2008 (63)
April 2008 (25)
March 2008 (21)