We recently added our first 3D printing product to the Tribal ID blanks database. The Custom 3D printed cufflinks come from Shapeways in The Netherlands and they represent an exciting new realm of opportunity in made for one consumer products.
3D printing, also called rapid prototyping or stereo lithography has been around for a few years and is in widespread use in the development of prototype objects.
A 3D printer creates a three-dimensional product by making a succession of very thin layers which are bonded together to create the whole object.
Imagine taking a small object, a cell phone for example, and slicing it into many, very thin layers. 3D printing is the inverse. The layers are created and then assembled into a model. This process is very useful in producing models of objects, particularly when the model cannot easily be made using a more traditional method such as carving a block or molding clay.
Because virtually anything can be assembled from very thin slices, shockingly complex and beautiful models are regularly created by the printer manufacturers to demonstrate their capabilities.
The drawback has been that the models, although highly detailed and precise, are fragile. The uses for a complex, but breakable parts were limited to models and prototypes that could then be manufactured by more traditional means.
Recently, printer manufacturers have developed methods of building models from metals, typically a combination of stainless steel and bronze.
Using metals allows the production of objects that are useful and sturdy, as well as nearly infinitely customizable.
To test out the new material, today we placed an order for custom cufflinks from Shapeways, a young company in the Philips incubator program. Shapeways is dedicated to pushing 3D printing out of the laboratories and high-end commercial realm and into consumer’s hands. Early enthusiasts include model makers, artists and the “Maker” crowd. With the introduction of simply customizable “blanks” like the cufflinks, it is easier to understand how consumers may begin to see the value that the futurists have described for years.
We look forward to working with Shapeways to create more blanks that can be customized by our Tribes to create unique and useful items.
