Top 3D printing designers discuss their approach to DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing)

What the Future’s (WTFVC) first startup – Pixsweet – developed an entirely new way of serially manufacturing custom products through AM. Kyttanen called it 3DTi: 3D Thermo-injection.

Launched in 2016, Pixsweet was started as the pilot to test the-first-of-its kind 3D thermo-injection (3DTi) technology; an autonomous 3D manufacturing technology which enables translation of an image directly into a packaged 3D product.

Emerging Object’s new book, Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing, presents the studio’s ongoing experimentation with 3D printed architecture from a wide variety of powders, including sawdust, clay, cement, rubber, concrete, salt, and even coffee grounds, opening an entire realm of material, phenomenological, and ecological possibilities to designers.

Other recent EO projects include a 3D printed Cabin, a collaboration with 3D Potter, and a series produced with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum in Mumbai.

New projects include:
Superabundance
Enea (in collaboration with Shiro Studio)

At the end of the work, I sometimes put my geometry through Netfabb or Meshlab for cleaning it up. However, lately, I am really intrigued by the possibilities of using VR tools for modeling and designing. VR is a much more natural tool for creating in 3D.”

“The last work in order of time is MACROCOSMOS a collection of objects/vases that takes inspiration from the world of Sci-Fi.”

For that, we have developed our own methodology for a new framework for product development and finding new customized products for niche markets. Now more than ever, product design is linked to the business model, brand identity, market strategy, among other disciplines. And so we face challenges where we need to apply all our creativity and AM possibilities, but sometimes we only need to solve a product for a unique piece or small batches, in both cases, design for AM is the best solution with regards to time, cost, and viability.”

From the beginning, one of our favorite processes was laser sintering in polyamide, because of the absence of manufacturing restrictions we could apply design freedom and achieve impressive results based on the specific project requirements. We always exploit the potential of each process, understanding its possibilities, and pushing the boundaries from a design point of view and fulfill engineering requirements.”

“Different activity lines, from custom projects and bespoke products to engineering and research, and also knowledge transfer and training.
GO recently created a hat for Axis service bureau, based in France, to express the potentials of the SLS technology through a stunning design that enhances its peculiarities and states its uniqueness. The design won the 2017 5th Singapore International 3D Printing Competition.

In collaboration with Origen Studio, GO has been developing creative web Fabapps for 3D printing unique products, with responsive custom design generation and web-based platform, offering pre-established possibilities for co-designing according to the features of each design.

GO also develop proposals, with the collaboration of AM companies. In collaboration with Mcor Technologies a design was developed that required the development of a new color algorithm and some software improvements for its AM system by the engineers of the company to succeed with the design fabrication.

A research project in progress is the challenge of an efficient AM tool design for plastic injection with complex cooling systems by water or air, by manufactured molds by Leitat Technological Center.

As a professor in Product Design and Engineering at the Elisava School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona since 2007, one of Xavi Tutò’s academic objectives is to provide the skills to improve the customer perceived value for the personalised products, based on a methodology of design work for AM and the definition of business models for the join delivery of products and services.
In the last course, students, Núria Diago and Maria Carrion, created a nose clip for synchronized swimming discipline, Be (in the) water, a piece that adapts specifically to the nose surface of each athlete. They received the second prize at Reshape international competition 2017.

Thanks to solid filament, it is possible to use this kind of printer even in a closed office space. The printing result is easily cleanable as is waste management. Another advantage of FDM is the growing variety of materials, the extensive availability and it’s easily conserved. The technological limits of FDM printing are easily overcome with careful design, making it the best solution for desktop or office prototyping. While testing the different technologies, I was pleasantly impressed by the Multijet technology, especially with the pieces made using HP machines. “

On the other hand, it is the variety of materials that are available on the market. You can prototype something by using cheaper materials and once the desired solution is achieved, you can move on to higher quality materials or even precious metals.”

Usually, for higher-quality lightweight products we prefer SLS as the quickest and currently cheapest method with the biggest bounding box. In metal for sure, the LMF has given the most amazing results in surface quality. For large scale clay experiments we use LDM.”

Dragon Drone. An experimental 3D printed drone body for Skull’n’drones.

3D printed SALT & PEPPA shaker for the METHESIS exhibition during Milan Design week 2016, supported by Sisma and Autodesk.

Spider Dress for Intel on CES 2015. In collaboration with fashion designer Anouk Wipprecht.”

“KE’LYFOS
kélyfos is a gramophone created for DWS. You can use it by inserting a smartphone for perfect sound amplification. It is composed of 8 pieces and exists as a “sculpture ” that must be observed at 360°, like a Nautilus with shell-like lines

Project Alux project was inspired by sea waves It is a lamp and also an acoustic box. Dimensions are cm. 25x30x30 that means this item is particularly difficult to 3D print by stereolithography. Alux was exposed at CES of Las Vegas (USA).

VESPA V98 is a revisitation of the motorcycle headlights of Italian “Vespa V98” new way to see the old but always actual piece.
Alice worked with stereolithography creating different pieces and assembling it, using DWS printing machine. It was exposed at Mecspe in Parma last March 2018. “Vespa V98 was an important step of Italian Design and I’m proud to have this piece in my collection of art objects,” Alice says.