Apr 14, 2016 | By Benedict
Florida-based 3D printing firm Dimension Works and sportswear specialist Pro Helmet Decals have together made Major League Baseball history by producing 3D printed embossed logos for the LA Dodgers’ new matte-finish helmets. The logos were printed on an EnvisionTEC Ultra 3SP 3D Printer.
The new-look helmet, complete with 3D printed lettering
Dimension Works and Pro Helmet Decals have truly scored a home run with their recent collaborative project: 3D printing the iconic “LA” lettering for the LA Dodgers’ new helmet. The baseball team may have lost their home opener on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2), but they at least had the opportunity to showcase a piece of Major League Baseball History. Their new helmets, colored a darker shade of blue than in previous seasons, sported a modern matte finish and were adorned with 3D printed, raised letters, the first to be seen on the helmet of a professional baseball team.
While looking for a new look for their batting helmets, the LA Dodgers got in touch with Pro Helmet Decals, who themselves contacted Dimension Works to discuss a collaboration. Pro Helmet Decals and Dimension Works, both from Ocala, Florida, soon got to work revamping the classic Dodgers aesthetic for the new season.
The collaborators took the iconic interlocking “LA” letters, raising them 3mm above the surface of the helmet to give a new, 3D look to the protective headgear. The Chicago Cubs are the only other Major League Baseball team to feature a raised logo on their batting helmets, but theirs are made from embroidered cloth—an option which the Dodgers’ creative team considered before giving the green light to the altogether more original 3D printing project.
The 3D printed letters up close
To make the 3D printed letters for the Dodgers helmets, Dimension Works first 3D scanned the helmet itself to determine its curvature, before modeling the letters to fit perfectly onto the curved helmet surface. The 3D models were then 3D printed on the company’s EnvisionTEC Ultra 3SP 3D Printer, a machine with a 266 x 175 x 193 mm build volume and a resolution of 100 microns. The 3D printed letters were then painted matte white to complete the new look.
“We were so excited to work on the LA batting helmet logos,” Jeff Beegle, president of Dimension Works. “This was a perfect project for us. Not only did it highlight our capabilities in scanning, design and printing, it showcases what 3D printing can do for innovation.”
Yasiel Puig sporting the partially 3D printed helmet on its debut, a 2-4 defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks / Image: L.A. Times
Dodgers fans may be slightly concerned to hear that neither the team, Dimension Works, nor Pro Helmet Decals are entirely sure how durable the 3D printed lettering will prove to be: "The original plan was to test them in spring training, but then we decided to make it a surprise at the home opener," said Ross Yoshida, the Dodgers' director of graphic design. "Will they break? Will they chip? Will they fall off? We're in uncharted territory here. But hey, you have to take a risk sometimes.”
The Dodgers will be sporting their new, 3D printed helmets for the remainder of the 2016 season.
The 3D printer behind the new 3D Dodgers logo
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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Can I buy one of the Dodgers 3D Batting Helmet Logos, as a fan?
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