Shapeways Introduces Interlocking Metals: Brass, Bronze & Silver!

IMTS

Share this Article

banner2Shapeways has just announced that they are the first online 3D printing platform to offer interlocking metal parts in cast brass, bronze, and silver. They introduced interlocking parts in 3D printed aluminum at the beginning of the year. Now not only do designers have more options available to them in metal, and in creating interlocking parts, but unlike Shapeways’ 3D printed aluminum, the cast brass, bronze and silver pieces can be polished. In fact, Shapeways can do that as part of their finishing process (the new materials are available in raw or polished). According to Shapeways:

“Interlocking precious metals is a particularly wonderful material as it allows designers to produce parts that are already linked together in the printing process. If you’re a designer who orders multiple parts and links them together at home, interlocking metals is a perfect solution to cut down on your post production time, and sell items directly from your Shapeways shop.”

Shapeways interlocking bronze.

Twisted squares earrings by nataliak in Shapeways interlocking bronze

Shapeways solicited the feedback of their designers in their pilot to find out their reactions to the new offering. Being able to produce pieces utilizing interlocking metals affords designer the opportunity to get more creative with their designs, creating complex, fascinating structures that astonish their clients. As Lana Lepper of LanaBetty explains:

“To me, to design jewelry specific for 3D printing is to design a piece that could not be made any other way. What I love about interlocking metals, is that it encompasses this idea perfectly. Clients look at my interlocked pieces with wonderment and curiosity, searching for the point at which the metal was cut and re-soldered together. When it clicks and they begin to comprehend how the jewelry was designed and created, is the best moment. They get it and they immediately love the piece even more.”

blog-interlocking-brass

OCTAHEDRON by LanaBetty in Shapeways interlocking brass

Since Shapeways’ process to create interlocking metal parts is much more labor intensive than it is for creating non-interlocking metals, the prices are higher as well. However, for a limited time Shapeways is offering designers a discount to encourage designers to try the new materials. Designers can get 50% off when the order interlocking metal models before the end of August. Simply use the code INTERLOCKING at checkout to take advantage of the promotion.

For designers interested in working with these new materials, Shapeways’ Community Manager, Kat Kinkead, offers some tips and tricks. Of note, the tolerances between interlocking metal parts must be a minimum of 1mm apart. Minimum wire thickness is 1.5mm. Additionally, designers should note that models can have a maximum of 6 interlocking parts, and the entire model must fit within a 75 x 75 x 40 mm bounding box.

Shapeways’ Product Material Manager, Blair Georgakas, explains how the new interlocking metal process works in the video below:

[Source: Shapeways]

Share this Article


Recent News

Will There Be a Desktop Manufacturing Revolution outside of 3D Printing?

Know Your Würth: CEO AJ Strandquist on How Würth Additive Can Change 3D Printing



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

Featured

Pressing Refresh: What CEO Brad Kreger and Velo3D Have Learned About Running a 3D Printing Company

To whatever extent a business is successful thanks to specialization, businesses will nonetheless always be holistic entities. A company isn’t a bunch of compartments that all happen to share the...

Würth Additive Launches Digital Inventory Services Platform Driven by 3D Printing

Last week, at the Additive Manufacturing Users’ Group (AMUG) Conference in Chicago (March 10-14), Würth Additive Group (WAG) launched its new inventory management platform, Digital Inventory Services (DIS). WAG is...

Featured

Hypersonic Heats Up: CEO Joe Laurienti on the Success of Ursa Major’s 3D Printed Engine

“It’s only been about 24 hours now, so I’m still digesting it,” Joe Laurienti said. But even via Zoom, it was easy to notice that the CEO was satisfied. The...

Featured

3D Printing’s Next Generation of Leadership: A Conversation with Additive Minds’ Dr. Gregory Hayes

It’s easy to forget sometimes that social media isn’t reality. So, at the end of 2023, when a burst of doom and gloom started to spread across the Western world’s...