3D Printing – Kayleigh Mace

More 3D printing embellishments

Kayleigh — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:14:02 +0000

Following on from my original tests I spent more time in rhino learning what I could do on the program. I really wanted to create ideas and shapes that were unique and couldn't be replicated through techniques such as laser cutting which is something I've used a lot in the past. At first it was difficult to get my head around how to create the 3D shapes accurately but with lots of practice I managed to produce some shapes I was happy with.

I learnt how to create a 'wavy' shape from drawing a motif in the top view and then editing the points in the right view so that the lines were no longer flat. The result was a 3D leaf shape that has movement no longer sits flat in the surface like the previous shapes.

From researching I came across a tool called cage edit which allowed me to edit lots of point on a shape and change their height to create caved in shapes. I used this tool on the flat leaf shapes I had drawn to create a 3 D surface which I lend put holes into. I wanted to combine some of the shapes in my research I felt a simple shape would work best with a leaf.

After these I continued to create a variety of shapes that I could use which resulted in these. They were all inspired by shapes in my visual research and created using the skills I had developed in the program. I'm really pleased with my progress and what I've been able to create in a short time. I now feel I have to confidence to work on these skills and refine them in the future to use the software more in my designs. I came onto the MA degree wanted to be able to use 3D printing and now I can.

So from these I selected the most appropriate shapes and 3D printed them.

They came out really well although you can start to see how the clear resin is affecting the glowing qualities in some of them. When printing the finals this is something I will need to consider and place them accordingly or use it as a feature. What was surprising was that the spring shape does in fact spring so has movement which was exciting and the shape sizes were also exactly what I had hoped. Going forward I will be printing the tubes, medium and small size, and the swirls. I would also like to print the leaf with the holes however the technician would like to try making a mold and casting it as an alternative method.

3D printing tests

Kayleigh — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 19:51:03 +0000

After testing the glow in the dark resin and developing some simple shapes from my visual research in Rhino and Maya I finally got the chance to 3D print some ideas. We had decided to use 1 part glow pigment to 3 part resin so started with mixing the printing resin in a cup with the pigment. It took quite a bit of mixing to get the consistency smooth as the pigment made the resin mixture thicker. Once mixed it was added to an empty cartridge and put into the machine with an older tray. As this was a new test for the machine and university we were unsure how it was going to work or if it even would but thankfully it seems to have worked really well. I was particularly grateful that the university were kind enough to pay for half of the mixture to help with costs provided they could use some of it to print their own examples with it being new to the university. The tank has to have a certain amount of resin it in to print so it had to have more resin in it than will actually to be used. It unfortunately also means that some of it will potentially be wasted if it cant be used in another way.

We decided to print solid shapes to begin with including 3 straight lines of varying lengths and 1 curved line. In addition to these we also printed 2 leaf shapes and, a screw and bolt for the uni. The mixture does clearly need shaking to re mix it before use to make sure it doesn't clog up the cartridge and that the pigments don't sink to the bottom.

The print took 3 hours and once finished had to be removed from the plate and washed in an alcohol bath.

After this the components were placed in a UV machine to set for an hour. The machine changed up the UV pigments in the components making them glow really bright when they were removed. This also proved that the process had worked with all the components glowing strongly when the lights were turned off.

The pigment had spread fairly evenly within the pieces with only the thinner layers showing some slight inconsistency. They aren't too heavy in weight either although if a lot were used in one sample it would make it quite heavy. Due to the weight I have stitched them onto neoprene and they would need to be used on a base fabric that could support their weight.

The appearance is plastic and so this needs to be considered in their use and there is a slight rough texture but I was informed they were printed on the lowest quality setting. I can see how these pieces could be used in my work and i'm excited to produce a design with the components. Next we are testing the hollow grid shapes to see how the scaffolding affects the design and whether they could be printed on this machine.

A start on 3D Modelling

Kayleigh — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 23:15:35 +0000

As a part of my project I really wanted to try 3D printing. Its a growing part of the industry in its early stages at the minute but it has great potential for expansion. I have read companies discussing how it could be used in the future due to the advancement of 3D scanning. Garments could be created to fit the wearer perfectly with no waste material so it also has some sustainable benefits. For me there are 2 ideas I want to look into which are producing elements to embellish onto fabrics and having motifs come out from the material and re-enter it without having to be attached. I have started on ideas for the first designs looking at the shapes from the light movement images. As the final result will have a plastic appearance I felt these shapes would work best. These are the first ideas:

I want to do straight tubes as well as curved but thought it best to start with the straight lines. As I would like to try and stitch between them or fill them I have looked firstly at a diamond structure similar to the tubular crin. I like this shape but would also like to try others such as rounded holes.

I've then started to bend the shape to get more movement into it.

The first problems I have encounted are when I have tried to bend it off the surface or back on itself. The tube seems to twist and struggles with the shape. I need to re look at whether its how the tube has been built and possibly start from scratch with this one building it a different way. The designs have been built in Maya a program that's good for 3D modelling and saved as an STL file. I've been fortunate that my husband happens to be trained in this program so has been able to assist me in how to use it. It is very different from any program I've used before and hard work to think in 3D but I'm picking it up which is the main thing. Either way its a start and I am pleased with the progress.

Wearable Lab

Kayleigh — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 12:26:56 +0000

As a part of PV there was a section dedicated to wearable technology, fashion and materials. It was great to see the latest designs and a variety of new approaches to technology and, how it could be used within a product. These were my favourites on show:

Ezra + Tuba

Butterfly Dress

This dress incorporates e-textiles to create an interactive dress. The collaboration with Intel used the latest integrated textiles technology to create a dress where the butterflies react when someone approaches. They start to move flapping slowly and as someone gets closer the flapping increases. Finally they can released on mass by the person approaching or via an app connected to the dress.

https://iq.intel.com/fashion-metamorphosis-meet-the-butterfly-dress/

Sarah Angold

Kingla Necklace

Innovative use of laser cutting to create a wearable necklace. The shaping i found inspiring and it was nice to see a new approach to laser cutting that I hadn't seen much of before. It is an approach i could use when looking at creating 3D surfaces with laser cutting.

http://www.sarahangold.com/shop.html

Nervous Systems

Tetra Kinematics

3D Printed bracelet using triangular shaping. The shapes allow the bracelet to morph and move creating a product that is flexible. It is a technique that I have seen previously in the 3D printing exhibition for creating flexible surfaces. I haven't considered it to date for my work but it is something I could do later if it became appropriate.

https://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/shop/product.php?code=216&osCsid=fvsvc3gf64irl5g9hupdijssj0

There was quite a range of designs on show, all were inspiring and it was good to see it getting a platform at such a large trade show. It supports the idea of technology in fashion and that it is becoming a more viable application in garments and accessories. Both of the accessories are available for people to buy and so its clear that mass production is possible.

Casting, moulding and 3D printing

Kayleigh — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 17:18:41 +0000

Today we had an introductory lecture to casting, mould making and 3D printing to explain more about what could be done at the University and different ways of doing things. We were talked through the different techniques you could use, what materials are used and what could be achieved. I found this talk really helpful particularly as it gave me a chance to know more about the 3D printing facilities in the University and what could be achieved. I was able to talk to Ryan who delivered the lecture after about what it was I was hoping to achieve and the capabilities of the machine he has. The one in Bonnington is smaller and could produce small designs but if I were to take it further and produce something larger I would need to seek permission to use the larger machine in Newton. The has given me an opportunity to think more about what it is I want to create and to what scale whether it is multiple pieces or one large piece which, is something that I will need to consider with the design development.

Trapping objects and 3D printing

3D printing knitted fabrics