www.3ders.org

May 12, 2015 | By Alec

While 3D printers are theoretically great for making the most original accessories and even pieces of jewelry you can think of, most people quickly get bored of the plastics most machines are limited to. To be sure, you can do a lot with other filaments than just ABS or PLA, but eyes and minds quickly start wandering towards different materials. While most of us gravitate towards metals, one Amsterdam design studio has achieved some very remarkable effects in an entirely different material. For Space Junk, led by designers Alan Nguyen and Susie Gregson, have managed to 3D print in marble-like material.

Now when we say ‘marble-like’, it is important to know that this isn’t actually marble. The Space Junk team have created materials that closely resemble marble, and have used it for a variety of jewelry (such the beautiful rings above) and even a tiny Tyrannosaurus Rex accessory called Rexamus Bling in their Digital Marble collection.

These intriguing objects have been achieved by 3D printing gypsum material, which 3D Systems has turned into a 3D printable powder. Gypsum is essential a sandstone powder that can be formed into shapes. Key in giving it a marble-like appearance is a dipping process that is used to coat these 3D printed objects in resin. Space Junk’s designers then meticulously sand and polish it by hand to create a beautiful illusion of marble. The results are gorgeous, but are ceramic-like in their nature, meaning they cannot come into contact with water and are rather vulnerable.

While most of the Digital Marble collection is gorgeous, all coming in either black (nero) or white (carrara) ‘marble’, none stands out as much as the Rexamus. This custom-made, limited edition dinosaur has been designed as a fun piece by designer Alan, who is a longstanding fan of dinosaurs. ‘As a kid I always loved exploring and discovering the unknown; I dreamed of becoming an archaeologist and uncovering the mysterious past of the earth. Naturally, I’ve always had a fascination with dinosaurs. My favorite of them all is the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex,’ he explains. To finish him off, Alan added some silver accessories for his eyes and mouth. ‘The T-Rex is invariably depicted as a wild, raging creature but I figure he must have had other feelings too. With Rexamus, it’s all in the eyes; he doesn’t talk much (other than “Rawrr”) - he says it all with just one look,’ he writes. Unfortunately, the Rexamus is already sold out.

While this gorgeous marble-like collection is currently the only 3D printed stuff on sale at Space Junk, Alan and his compatriots have become thoroughly convinced of the technology’s potential. ‘In a world where everything has already been designed, 3D printing is a very interesting platform.,’ he writes in a blog. ‘Currently what’s on my mind with technology that I’m most curious about is something that has yet to be released into the world which is the integration of multiple machines working together. Basically like an automotive assembly line but with 3D printing allowing multiple operations to happen simultaneously instead of the currently slow 30 year old process which is basically extremely repetitive 2D printers. Anyways 3D Printing is great. 4D Printing is the future of materials and multi linked 3D printers is the future of 3D printed manufacturing.’ Let’s hope this means that we get to see more of these interesting designs in the near future.

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

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