3D Printing, Wine & Star Wars — ZMorph’s Recipe for Getting Our Attention

On an hourly, daily, and weekly basis, we receive a continual education at 3DPrint.com regarding what can be made on the wide array of machines and materials now in use around the world, with the choices ever expanding. Really, it’s just exciting to wake up in the morning and wonder what’s going to come across my desk first. Seeing an update—and especially a use study—from ZMorph always elicits a smile as I just can’t wait to see what they’ve done next.

Whether it’s a project they’ve worked on themselves at their offices such as 3D printing an outdoor neon sign, or the sharing of a case study from a user making a complex prosthetic, the innovations coming forth from their technology are always fascinating due to the level of versatility allowed.

Now ZMorph is sharing a new study regarding the latest gadgets the team made on their new 2.0 SX Multitool 3D printer. They’ve touched on a great idea here, too, as everyone loves a sample pack—and this allows ZMorph to show off exactly what the new machine can do.

While they were still in the process of designing the new 2.0 SX, the team came up with the idea for a small novelty pack that would be able to show off the use of all the tools the impending 3D printer had to offer.

“It had to utilize all three digital fabrication methods – 3D printing, CNC milling, and laser engraving,” states the team. “Assembled from various objects that combined together creates an innovative, diverse and functional multi-material product, it would be like the machine it was made on. We wanted to create something that stands out, so we decided to make a wine cork with exchangeable heads.”

Yes, we know exactly what you’re thinking—a sample pack that enables my affinity for wine too—fantastic! But wait, just wait: included here are also two Star Wars heads, meant to perch atop your favorite bottle of wine. Yes, give a yank on your Princess Leia French braids just to make sure you aren’t dreaming first, and then check out the quality in the images below. ZMorph explains that for the first plain cork they used NinjaFlex SemiFlex in Midnight Black, printing with a single 1.75 mm nozzle.

For the Star Wars heads, they used their Dual Pro toolhead, and according to the design team, R2-D2 was made with two 1.75 ABS ZMorph filaments (colors: na1, bk1). For Darth Vader they used 1.75 PLA ZMorph filament (color: bk1) and a ColorFabb Glowfill that does really glow in the dark.

Showing off their skills further, the team shows us what they can do with the CNC Pro toolhead, milling two beech blocks and engraving them to make this delightful pack even more enticing with a classy looking case to hold everything in. They were challenged to make something this unique as they wanted to send out gifts to partners and customers, but were looking for something that would really grab attention, and in turn highlight all that their new 3D printer is capable of offering—along with a chic case to hold everything together.

“Many 3D printing companies attach their samples to business cards and flyers or pack them in cardboard boxes with a logo,” says the team in their blog. “Having a multitool machine at our disposal, we wanted to create a special packaging ourselves.

 

“The first thing that came to our minds was cutting a box out of a cardboard sheet with our laser toolhead. But we also wanted to give this set a more robust and elegant look. This is why we decided to CNC mill a small wooden case. The CNC Pro Toolhead for ZMorph 2.0 SX allows milling in a dozen of various materials and types of wood from which we chose beech.”

A strap and plastic pin also accentuate the case—and were made using 1.75 NinjaFlex SemiFlex (color: Midnight Black) and 1.75 PLA ZMorph filament (color: bk1) with a 1.75 Plastic Extruder.

The entire sample pack was fabricated on the ZMorph 2.0 SX Multitool 3D Printer, which should give us all plenty of ideas, as well as great inspiration for entrepreneurs trying to think of goodies to send out to customers in lieu of more traditional—and undeniably boring—items.

Were you also searching immediately for instructions on how to buy the 3D printed sample pack? Alas, it’s not for sale, but ZMorph will soon be releasing the source files for free download so you can make your own. Isn’t the sample pack amazing? Discuss further in the ZMorph 3D Prints Sample Pack Use Study forum over at 3DPB.com.