3D Printing Startup Fluxaxis Launches Along with Competition Seeking Artist in Residence

As the 3D printing industry continues to expand, 3D printing service bureaus are becoming not only more numerous but more specific, catering to certain markets in particular. The latest such service provider to launch is Fluxaxis, a UK-based digital manufacturing service aimed at creative designers and manufacturers.

Edwin Stokes

“Designers, marketers, architects, manufacturers, retailers, film and theatre companies. Everyone is exploring how 3D print can enrich their productions,” says Edwin Stokes, Director of Fluxaxis. “By removing technical barriers we are enabling a new creative and fast-track approach, uninhibited by scale and intricacy.”

The £1 million English startup is launching today with the help of Stage One, a creative construction and manufacturing company working in the theatre, architecture and events industries. Stage One has worked with such luminaries as Zaha Hadid, Thomas Heatherwick and RSH+P, and is known for, among other accomplishments, each of the Serpentine pavilions since 2009. The company marries digital technologies with traditional fabrication techniques to create complex works of art and architecture.

Stage One incubated Fluxaxis, which boasts an impressive array of large-scale 3D printers as well as 3D scanning and CNC machining equipment. Fluxaxis’ inventory includes:

• HP Jet Fusion 4200
• MASSIVIT 1800
• Fortus 900mc
• Fortus 250mc
• Steinbichler Comet L3D scanner
• Poseidon 5-Axis CNC Machining Center

According to Fluxaxis, their customers will be able to 3D print at large scale faster than ever.

“The best machines mean nothing if you don’t know what to do with them,” says Stokes. “We combine the technology of the future with Stage One’s experience in creative production to open up new opportunities for businesses both in the UK and globally. Prototypes and production parts that, until now, have been too complex in form to manufacture, can now be made quickly and precisely using a range of cutting edge equipment, all under one roof.”

In conjunction with the official launch of the company, Fluxaxis is introducing a competition to find an artist in residence. They’re looking for either an individual artist or a collective experienced with and active in 3D printing and critical making. The residency program will run from September 2017 to February 2018, and the winner or winners will work with Fluxaxis’ R&D director as well as engineers from Stage One and Fluxaxis to develop a project. The resident or residents will have access to all of Fluxaxis’ equipment, and will showcase their work in October 2018 at the inaugural York Mediale, which is co-sponsoring the residency with Fluxaxis.

The winner/s will also receive a £5,000 artist fee. Over the course of the residency, the artist/s will be required to participate in artist talks, workshops and public events in collaboration with Fluxaxis and York Mediale. All artists above the age of 18 are welcome to apply, and should submit a written statement, portfolio and artistic proposal or concept.

“We are looking for artists, designers, makers and creators who are critically, conceptually, aesthetically and economically pushing the boundaries of 3D printing,” Fluxaxis states. “They must be enthusiastic about cross disciplinary research and interested in developing their practice, working hand in hand with practitioners from other fields.”

The deadline for submissions is July 17, 2017. You can learn more and download full application details here. Discuss in the Fluxaxis forum at 3DPB.com.