The BFI is using 3D printing to restore film preservation tools
A key application for 3D printing that we’ve discussed many times is restoration. In the automotive world, for instance, vintage car shops have found the technology highly valuable for the reproduction of obsolete components. And just yesterday, we covered an amusing story about how Jay Leno 3D printed a replacement toilet seat for actor Harrison Ford, when the actor failed to source an original part. Now, it turns out that 3D printing is also helping to restore restoration equipment at the British Film Institute (BFI).
In an article published by the BFI earlier this month, the film institute—founded in 1933 with the aim of promoting and preserving independent and mainstream film and TV content in the UK—detailed how it is using a Formlabs 3D printer (the Form 3L) and an EinScan Pro HD 3D scanner to replace components on rare or now-obsolete restoration equipment.
The Form 3L was purchased in 2022 and for the past few years has enabled the BFI’s archive technology team to keep critical restoration systems up and running. This, in turn, has enabled them to keep restoring and preserving the physical materials that make up British film culture. “The BFI national archive is home to hundreds of specialist devices that help us preserve our shared screen heritage. Some of these machines were produced decades ago by manufacturers who no longer operate,” a BFI video explains.
The Form 3L, an MSLA 3D printer with a large build volume of 335 × 200 × 300 mm, has been essential to keeping these systems running smoothly when an obsolete part has failed. Parts like cogs, cores, film rollers, cooling fans, spacers and guides can be printed in-house to minimize system downtimes and keep the archives productive.
3D scanning is also essential to this workflow, allowing for original parts to be captured in 3D. With the HD 3D models of the original parts, the BFI team uses SolidWorks CAD software to refine or fix the models before sending them to the 3D printer. From there, parts undergo cleaning and a post-processing cure using the Form Cure L, which enhances mechanical properties for more durable performance.
The BFI team is also using its in-house 3D printing solution to design and prototype new components, such as guide rollers for a two-inch video tape cleaner. These parts, iterated and fine tuned with 3D printing, are now in production using metal. “As technology evolves, new technologies are required to solve old problems,” the BFI added. “By embracing state-of-the-art tech, like the Form 3L, our technicians can breathe new life into historic equipment and ensure that this vital machinery can operate long into the future.”
