Shapeways

Something that got me really excited last year was when I had discovered Shapeways. Shapeways is an online service that allows users to upload their 3d designs to their website. Shapeways will then 3d print your model in your choice of a variety of materials (including stainless steel, sterling silver, gold and a variety of plastics) and ship the model to your door. Since then I've been pondering the possibilities and brainstorming ideas for something to send. Years ago, some of the members of the Tech Ed department at LSRHS were looking into ZCorporation's Zprinters. At the time we abandoned the idea because the investment was too great. Shapeways has 3d printers using a similar idea as the Zprinters.


There is a sealed chamber. A thin layer of powered material is laid down in the chamber. A "head" moves over the thin layer like an inkjet printer-head and uses a laser to fuse parts of the powder. Another layer of powder is laid down. The "head" moves up an amount equal to the thickness of the power and again moves over the layer and fuses parts of the powder. This is done, layer after layer, until the entire chamber is filled with powder.

This system allows for the model to stand at any angle without solid supports. It also allows for the printing of entire mechanisms of pre-assembled parts - like multiple moving gears.

Once the chamber is completely filled with powder, the 3D object is removed from the powdered chamber and cleaned off with compressed air. See the video above. In the video, you will see complete assembled miniature models of Theo Jansen's¹ Strandbeests with full moving articulated parts. Imagine how pleased I was to find out that this exciting new company started printing models of one of my most favorite kinetic artists. These printed models can be purchased at the Shapeways website. Scroll down to see pics of Theo Jansens miniature models - let me repeat, these models come out of the printer completely assembled with articulated moving parts. Impressive.


Shapeways has a page dedicated to Theo Jansen's models at http://www.shapeways.com/shops/theojansen

I have a post about Theo Jansen HERE.

Below is a movie of Shapeways printed model of the Animaris Geneticus Ondularis



Below is another fully articulated model of a "gyrosphere."

 

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^{1. I have a post about Theo Jansen HERE.
From Wikipedia: Theo Jansen (born 1948) is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began what he is known for today: building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own, known as Strandbeest. His animated works are a fusion of art and engineering; in a car company (BMW) television commercial Jansen says: "The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds." He strives to equip his creations with their own artificial intelligence so they can avoid obstacles by changing course when one is detected, such as the sea itself.↩}