【3D Printing Applications】Fluorescent Lights Illuminate the Pandemic, Mass Production Possible Even When Factories Are Shut Down!
Urban Scale Interventions (USI), a design studio, was commissioned to revitalize a historical site in Northern Ireland (Belfast, Capital of Northern Ireland). The team came up with a creative idea: using 3D printing technology to bring light to the local history. What? Is that too abstract? Let's take a look:
The city's oldest pub, "Winecellar Entry," was once the most bustling and famous tourist hotspot. To rekindle community cohesion, the USI team drew inspiration from "light" and focused on sustainable, interesting, interactive, and safe design.
By using CAD in the form of 3D models, the installation process was fully visualized. From sculpture design to idea testing, adjustments could be made flexibly and immediately. Finally, the design was easily transferred to a 3D printer. Compared to traditional model making, this production process is not only faster but also more effectively eliminates human error.
There are a total of 43 design spheres in 3 sizes. However, even the smallest size was too large for a 3D printer with a build volume of 330 x 240 x 300 mm, so the spheres were 3D printed in sections. The small size had 3 parts, and the larger sizes had up to 15 parts. The team had to complete 450 parts within a tight deadline.
The USI team used three Ultimaker S5 3D printers as the main production machines for this enormous challenge, using transparent PETG filament made from recycled plastic (up to 89% of the 3D printing filament was made from recycled materials).
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team's factory in Ireland was forced to shut down, and they faced a crisis of not meeting the deadline. The production team moved the Ultimaker S5 3D printers to a backup studio, successfully solving the production problem. The architect for this project stated that in addition to being able to move the 3D printers freely, Ultimaker's backend Cura software and Digital Factory cloud operating system were like having an extra pair of hands. Even with the obstacles of pandemic isolation, they were still able to ensure the project continued and to stay fully informed of project progress, addressing situations and problems in real time. (Click here to see: Ultimaker's Five System Collection, the first choice for enterprise software!)
"Thanks to Ultimaker 3D printers, even companies that are not advanced manufacturing experts can execute the entire production line process from design to manufacturing," said Ralf Alwani, co-founder of USI.
Did you enjoy this sharing? Combining industrial 3D printing with street art creates a new spark in design, unconstrained by size or delivery time. Even in the face of a pandemic, Ultimaker 3D printers enable various enterprise needs to be met, rain or shine. Contact us now to learn more about the full range of Ultimaker 3D printers.
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