Yamamay turns to Caracol AM to 3D print giant “Y” at its global HQ

The latest large format additive manufactring project from Caracol AM, a highly dynamic company in the robotic LFAM segment, is a giant “Y” shaped sculpture placed in front of Yamamay’s HQ in Gallarate, near Milan, in Italy. Yamamay the Italian leader in the production and distribution of underwear, lingerie, sleepwear and beachwear products. The company is very much dedicate to innovative design and implementing more sustainable manufacturing practices: the 3-meter tall sculpture, 3D printed with 170 Kg of 100% recycled polypropylene, embodies both of these elements.

Caracol oversaw the elaboration of the artistic design, of the industrial construction and installation of the monumental “Y”. The Italian startup looks to overcome the limits of traditional manufacturing through the conception and realization of robotic material extrusion 3D printing system using proprietary hardware and software. This patented system makes it possible to produce components with greater efficiency in terms of costs, time and sustainability, enabling the use of recycled materials that can trigger circular economy loops in manufacturing processes.

This project is the result of an artistic, technical and technological collaboration between the two companies, determined by Yamamay’s strong interest in new technologies, sustainability and circular economy. This plays into the company’s desire to beautify its headquarters and celebrate, with an identifying landmark, the restyling of the logo announced in September 2021, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Inticom SpA.

“Y” consists of two main elements:

• the Y: a 3 meters high, 2.7 meters wide structure weighting of 170 kg and made from 100% recycled polypropylene (with CSI certification). It it is entirely recyclable and therefore circular. Production took about 200 hours and several months of work by a team of designers.
• A concrete plinth, made using a special formwork 3D printed using Caracol technology. It is 165 cm wide and 100 cm high, with a weight of 1500 kg.

“We are proud to complete the upgrade of the Yamamay headquarters, one of the most iconic business buildings in Italy, with an artistic work of identity that, thanks to the exclusive skills of Caracol, combines innovation, sustainability and art to the creativity of our company,” said Francesco Pinto, Co-founder and President of Yamamay. “It is indeed – he added – a feeling of beauty that sees its roots already in the famous thought of Luigi Einaudi: ‘The taste, the pride of seeing one’s own company prosper, acquire credit, inspire trust in ever-growing customers, expand facilities, beautify the offices, they constitute a spring of progress just as powerful as the profit'”.

The sculpture, 4 meters high in total, was then finished and painted with a special two-component polyurethane protective paint for greater resistance to chemical agents and to avoid changes in color over time, due to direct exposure to the sun. The color was obtained by spectrophotometry to match the specific institutional red color gradation used by Yamamay.

The dimensions of the sculpture are important and unusual for an additive manufacturing process and represent the potential of Caracol technology, for applications in sectors such as art, design and architecture. It is believed to be the largest 3D printed company logo in Italy and around the World.

Giovanni Avallone, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Caracol, commented: “The collaboration between Caracol and Yamamay represents a virtuous example of dialogue between startups and corporate in our country, and symbolizes how the use of innovative technologies, typically of industrial derivation, they can also be used in the service of sectors such as art and architecture, close to the general public, and therefore important communication tools to transfer the values ​​of sustainability and efficiency typical of these new manufacturing tools “.