Oct 16, 2015 | By Kira
We’ve seen DIY 3D printing projects that are mind-blowing, futuristic, beautiful, and incredibly complex…but rarely have we come across anything as adorable as this pair of 3D printed penguins. And the only thing cuter than a pair of tiny penguins is a pair of tiny penguins photographed throughout Japan, of course. The downloadable files are available for free on Cults so you can make your own at home, and we spoke with creator Stanley Chen in order to find out just how he made them and what inspired him to bring them on his trip.
Chen is a designer at ATOM3D, the Taiwan-based 3D printer manufacturer behind the ATOM and ATOM 2.0, high-precision 3D printers made from precision CNC aluminium that were successfully launched through crowdfunded campaigns. ATOM3D was one of the first companies to introduce personal 3D printing to the Asian market, and the first with a delta design. They now have nearly 2,000 customers worldwide.
A regular designer and photographer of toys (check out his playful Instagram, @figureboy), Chen was originally inspired to design the Penguins after seeing a package design by the famous Japanese graphic designer Taku Satoh, of whom Chen is a big fan. Although I hadn’t heard of him before, one look at his gorgeous and minimalistic designs, and I immediately understood why. Although the penguins existed as a 2D image on a chewing gum package, Chen was able to create an accurate 3D model using Solidworks software. Using his ATOM 2.0 3D printer and black and white PLA, he printed each penguin in two separate parts, with a layer thickness of just 0.1 mm and 5% infill. Best of all, the design requires absolutely no supports, meaning assembly took him less than five minutes (the actual printing was around 4-5 hours for each penguin).
As if the penguins weren’t cute enough on their own, Chen’s friend Nick Liu (also a big fan of Taku Satoh) had the idea to take them on their trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe and photograph them in front of famous Japanese sights, including the Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto, the Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine, and even ‘eating’ some delicious-looking Okonomiyaki. Chen told 3Ders.org that it was an interesting private project to do, and brought an extra something special to his already-adorable 3D prints. In the future, he’s planning on creating more 3D models, including some originals, and bringing them to any other countries he visits.
The downloadable files are available for free, so you can 3D print your own pair of penguins (or just one, or an entire family if you want), and photograph them on your own adventures, whether you’re travelling the world, or decorating your desk. We think this is a great 3D printing project, with a unique and engaging twist.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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where can I find the 3d files? The link doesn't work :/ I'd really like to print them for my morther.
Anja wrote at 10/19/2015 2:11:20 PM:
@yzorg: Hopefully it inspires you to come up with more mind-blowing, futuristic, beautiful projects of your own.
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