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In the Details: Making a 3D-Printed Product Line That Doesn't Look Like It Was 3D-Printed

By Carly Ayres - February 21, 2014

in In the Details

While desktop 3D printers have made rapid prototyping at home as easy as the push of a button, that accessibility comes at a price—a much lower level of quality than with traditional manufacturing methods. As a result, desktop 3D printing is still not a viable option for making finished products. At least, that's the general assumption—one that the New York-based Italian designers Barbara Busatta and Dario Buzzini hope to challenge with their Machine Series, a line of containers that are ready for use hot off the printer.

Busatta and Buzzini's collaboration was born out of a promise to do a project together each year under the studio name ICOSAEDRO, each time focusing on a specific material or craft as part of a joint effort to learn a new methodology. For their inaugural effort, Buzzini, a design director at IDEO, said that he and Busatta, a freelance art director, were drawn to the "artisanal process" of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), a 3D-printing technology that involves melting plastic filament and extruding it layer-on-layer to build a form.

The Machine Series includes five containers with lids. There is a black version in three different shapes (top) and red and yellow versions (above).

Until now, FDM has not exactly been a fount of high-end product design. "FDM nowadays is a synonym for tchotchkes and miniatures for Yoda busts," Buzzini says. But he and Busatta felt that there was an opportunity to bring a new level of craft to an imperfect technique, noting that "it felt like the right starting point to express our point of view on what could be a way to bring craftsmanship into the future."At first, Busatta and Buzzini experimented by printing out basic shapes, gradually working up to more organic and more complicated forms. Along the way, they became familiar with the key factors that influenced the final result, including the material itself, the quality of the 3D model and even the local microclimate (environmental temperature alters the way the plastic warps upon cooling). "With a lot of trial and error, the machine was 'suggesting' to us what shapes, proportions and paths were most efficient and consistent to print," Buzzini says.

The duo had two main technical difficulties they had to take into consideration: flat surface warping and product surface finish. Melted ABS plastic changes with varying temperatures from nozzle to hot plate. Because of that, the "seam" defined by the tool path inevitably shows on a finished product. Ultimately, Busatta and Buzzini chose to embrace those flaws and incorporate them into the design. "That's when we came up with the 'squiggly line' cross-section of the products," Buzzini says, referring to the vessels' distinctive ribbing, which creates a squiggly line in cross section. "The seam is still there but it's hidden in the design of the surface. It's a simple trick that made the product look much more polished."

Above and below: "still lifes" showing potential settings for the Machine Series vessels

Above and below: "still lifes" showing potential settings for the Machine Series vessels

But even with that ribbed surface—and with a wall thickness of nearly two millimeters, which further helped with the warping problem—Busatta and Buzzini had to concede that there was no way to have a FDM product look perfect from every angle; in this case, the top and bottom of the containers still looked unfinished. So the team chose to cover the base and cap of each piece with an EVA layer glued on after the 3D-printing process.

The entire process takes, on average, a little under seven hours before a complete set from the series is ready to ship (six of those hours are spent printing). Interested parties can order the Machine Series containers individually or as sets for around $42 apiece. If that price is too steep, consumers with desktop 3D printers can opt to print their own versions at home—in "an invitation to open design," Busatta and Buzini have posted all of the product files on their website.

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matt willox

10 years ago

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jay - i have found that most of the in-depth design discussion goes on in the forums rather than at the end of articles. perhaps you could start a topic there to elicit more comments and opinions? I didn't think it worth a comment personally, but yours has changed my mind! I agree with you that this is a poor use of the process. I haven't seen much that would beat the MGX one shot folding stool or their range of lamps for the best use of the technology - making things that are too difficult or impossible to make any other way. that was from back in 2008.

as an aside, it seems bizarre to hear FDM described as an "artisanal process" - i would also challenge the (probably intentionally facetious) assertion that "FDM nowadays is a synonym for tchotchkes and miniatures for Yoda busts," I would argue that this is more likely to be true for DIY desktop printing specifically, rather than FDM as a whole - it seems these machines are often used for novelty value more than anything else.

Personally I would associate FDM with strong, cheap and accurate prototypes which are excellent for functional testing.
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jay

10 years ago

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Here is an idea. Perhaps a blog were to become known for its critique, publicly and internally. People would think about the design, deeply, and give an opinion, doesn't have to be educated, just more than three sentences for example in a open,moderated comments section. Then, only then, would the article stay for a timed period. Thereby becoming a blog that people will respect, unlike designboom et al.

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Zach

10 years ago

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As an industrial designer, and 3d printing enthusiast, I do see some truth in Jay's comment. Creating a "finished" product seems to be a step backwards for me. Yes, FDM produces visible layers in the final product, whether it is acceptable as a finished product, seems trivial. But designing something and marketing it with the intent to hide this effect? it just seems absurd. 3D printing is an innovative means of manufacturing that is spreading like wildfire. The size of the layers will decrease over time, and I would assume 5 years from now it will be a hip, retro styling effect to commemorate the beginning of a new era of product design. The number of homes with 3d printers is continues to grow rapidly. Here's to hoping true innovation shines through as communities such as thingiverse are slowly changing the way we find new products. Oh, and maybe spend a bit more time on that site, because there are a lot of excellent products available that I feel trump these pretentious pencil holders
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jay

10 years ago

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Hello Carly,

Sorry for my tone, it was not directing it at the author, but more the wider public reading these articles. I assume that Core77 is the most widely read blog on industrial design, correct me if I am wrong on this and I get frustrated at the lack of personal investment in the way of opinion.

I see the article has been tweeted 102 times at this point and has anyone really read the article or thought about the product. I understand the process is long, I use the same method of printing in my day to day work. The material is smelly and surface finish terrible. There is also possibility of warped bases such as in the beautiful photos above.

It seems a very lazy product and to charge someone $42 then I feel I need to write my disagreement. I also understand it is free to download if you have access to a printer.

I am purely giving my opinion to what I think is a terrible product and think there should be more of this kind of feedback. I am slightly afraid that retweeting it says more than thinking about it.
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Carly Ayres

10 years ago

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Hi Jay - The entire process actually takes around 6-7 hours to print a set of (2) cups. FDM is a surprisingly slow process, as the layers build upon each other.

Design doesn't always serve a higher purpose, but in this case it's exploring a relatively new process and applying it to create functional (finished) objects.
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jay

10 years ago

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Is anyone reading these articles????? Why is there such a lack of comments at the end of these articles? Here is one...this is total bullshit to design something that takes 30 mins (max) and expect someone to pay $43 to put their f&%&^ pencils/toothbrush in is shameful. Why are enthusiasts/bloggers/designers/etc so soft on this crap, why, what purpose does it serve?
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