Sep 24, 2014
A live concert with a band consisting only of 3D-printed instruments has taken place at Lund University in Sweden. The band included a drum, keyboard and two guitars, all 3D-printed by Lund University professor Olaf Diegel. The band members were students at Lund University's Malmö Academy of Music.
"3D printing allows me to make complex shapes that are impossible to do any other way. I can also tailor instruments very precisely for musicians who want their instruments custom-made," says Diegel, a professor in product development.
Diegel, a long-standing design engineer, has been designing 3D-printed musical instruments for two years. Last year, he brought his creation, Ladybug keys and Atom Drums to Frankfurt and play live at the EuroMold design fair. All the components used in the instruments were 3D printed by 3D Systems using Selective Laser Sintering. They were made on an sPro 230 SLS system at 0.1 mm resolution.
As for his instruments, Diegel claims he's slowly winning over the music community. He said that one of the reasons he does it is to draw attention to the fact that the technology already has real life applications beyond just prototypes.
"Musicians are very creative, but also very conservative, so their reactions have been interesting. They first approach what is essentially a plastic guitar with suspicion. Then, when they have a play with it, they're amazed that it sounds and plays like a high quality electric guitar", concludes Diegel.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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