July 6, 2015 | By Simon
While we’ve seen how 3D printing can help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems which ranging from revolutionary methods towards approaching low-cost medical care to disrupting traditional (and environmentally harsh) supply chains, it has also helped revolutionize how toys can be designed, manufactured and shared.
To date, we’ve seen how MakerBot has teamed up with some toy brands including Sesame Street and Hello Kitty to allow consumers to 3D print their own pre-designed toy figurines, among others. But what might the potential be for those with professional 3D modeling experience to 3D print their own toys?
It would probably look something like the HMC Boudicca, which was created by Singaporean toymaker Michael Sng and his Machination Studio.
The toymaker, who was previously the lead product designer for the STIKFAS range of action figures, clearly has more experience than most going into the project, and the results highlight what’s possible when professionals are given a 3D printer to pursue personal projects.
Consisting of over 400 hand-painted 3D printed parts that create a 20-inch tall scale model of a multi-story walking tank, the HMC Boudicca is also fully functional and interactive with Arduino-controlled motors, servos, and LEDs.
The tank is the first component of Sng’s Codename Colossus project - an ambitious artisanal, made to order, kinetic toy line whose narrative is set in Europe in an alternate history during an epic battle called “The Great War”. According to Sng, Machination Studio aims to be the “antithesis to mass production toys” and want to liberate toy production from size and craftmanship constraints seen in traditionally-manufactured toy lines.
In total, the HMC Boudicca is made out of 435 3D printed and laser cut pieces that are made from a total of 229 different designs - each of which had to be painstakingly designed, 3D modeled, prepped for 3D printing, printed and of course, finished as a final piece to be used in the finished toy assembly. For this project in particular, Sng chose to outsource the 3D printing component, however the finishing work of the 3D printed parts was still tedious nonetheless.
“After they arrived, (I had to remove) the sprues, clean and wash the pieces, giving them “battle damage” and the many stages of painting,” says Sng.
“...And this is done for every single piece. Not to mention that all the screws used in the project are painted as well. I had individually stuck every one of those screws onto cardboard for spraying and airbrushing. All 500+ of them.”
Through trial and tribulation, Sng was ultimately able to find a production line-like method towards approaching the finishing of the final 3D printed parts, however it’s clear that it was still no easy task.
“While the 3D printing accounts for the major bulk of my cost, the painting and preparation of the parts account for the major bulk of the time and work put into the project,” explains Sng. “Is there such a thing as a one-man assembly line?”
According to Sng, if the project gains interest, he’ll likely explore building out the rest of his vision for Codename Colossus and set up different price points to make the toy line accessible for a wide audience; at the moment, the HMC Boudicca costs a staggering $5,000.
"More accessibly priced versions would not be anyway close to the same size and will likely not be fully 3D-printed and definitely not be hand assembled," says Sng.
For those who may not want to pay the $5,000 to see the HMC Boudicca up close in all of its 3D printed glory, Sng will be at this year’s 2015 New York Comic Con to show off the design as well as some other projects he’s been working on.
“Now begins the panic of how the heck I can get ready for the show in a little over 3 months,” added Sng.
“I am going to attempt to build a new one. If I get it done on time, great. If not, I’ll ship the first one over, and will at least have current work in progress to show as well. Fingers crossed. So if you guys want to see me at the show, you better act now!
You can find out more about Sng, Codename: Colossus and the HMC Boudicca by heading over to Machination Studio.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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