EPlus3D

Incredible 3D Printed Paintbrush, Broom, & More Created with Fiber Bridging Technique

Formnext Germany

Share this Article

If you are at all interested in intricate 3D printed designs, then you may have heard of the Orlando, Florida-based artist Mark Leonard who works with Aztec Scenic Design. He has helped design br1incredible pieces like the Arabic-inspired ceiling we covered back in March, as well as many other elaborate pieces.

Leonard has a knack for using 3D printers to create works of art that many individuals would never have imagined possible. He does more than just create. Leonard uses his knowledge of 3D printing to change the way the machines actually function, better suiting his end goals for a particular project.

This last week, Spyder 3D World teamed up with Leonard to launch a new tech section to their community offering 3D printing/designing tips, fixes, and techniques in an educational format.

One such technique has been refined by Leonard is a process called “fiber bridging.” What fiber bridging does is allow the 3D printer to print over air, using single filament stands to produce prints that are unlike anything you’ve likely seen in the past. With Leonard’s technique, which is described in further detail here, you can bridge across entire 3D printer beds. As you can see by the several examples below — most notably the paintbrush, which is 100% 3D printed, handle, brush and all — the bridging process will permit an infinite number of new designs to be 3D printed.

3D Printed Paintbrush

Staggering the fiber columns located at the top of the printed handle of the brush allows for a fuller look to the brush. Each strand of the brush is a single strand of extruded filament. The thicker your layer heights are, the thicker each brush strand will be. When the print is complete, you can simply remove the top part of the print where the brush strands each lead to, and you have a 3D printed paintbrush that actually works.

br2

3D Printed Spoked Wheel

Using the correct Z-heights, and a clever bridging technique, this woven spoked wheel was able to be fabricated. The most important variable in producing this piece, according to Spyder 3D World, is to carefully manage the hotend temperatures during the bridging process.

br9 3D Printed Heart Balloons

This is another awesome use for Leonard’s bridging technique. Each balloon string has been bridged from the printed box to each of the heart shaped balloons. Because of the thin layer of plastic making up the bridge, the balloons wobble as if they are really attached to a string, giving them an even more realistic look.

br7

3D Printed Dream Catcher

This is quite an intricate piece, which certainly could not have been printed using traditional methods. Inside the hoop are several raised shapes, which act as platforms, enabling the bridging process to take shape. Here they use bridging to create the net, which makes up the Dream Catcher, and the various shapes within the hoop act as the base for each net strand.

br5555

As you can see, this isn’t exactly an easy process to master. With that said, thanks to Spyder 3D World, and Mark Leonard, the tutorial they have provided certainly makes things easier for those of you wishing to give this technique a spin. Let us know if you have used fiber bridging on any of your 3D prints. Feel free to post the results in the Fiber Bridging 3D Printing forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out some additional fiber bridge 3D prints below, starting with a 3D printed broom:

br11

br8

pb1

Broom

 

Share this Article


Recent News

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: September 24, 2023

3D Printing News Briefs, September 23, 2023: Research Awards, Dental Veneers, Gaming, & More



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3D Printing News Unpeeled: HI-RAM, Golf Shoes and Style2Fab

At Clemson University Shunyu Liu and her students are developing HI-RAM builds which is a metal 3D printing technology combined with synchronous hot rolling for increased part strength.  The MC87...

Engineer’s 3D Printed Stop-Motion Videos Capture Internet Audiences

Microelectronic engineer Yuksel Temiz has found a unique application for his 3D printer: stop-motion animation. Utilizing multiple prints of figures in various poses, hundreds of photographs, and custom designed props,...

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: September 10, 2023

This might possibly be the longest webinar and event roundup we’ve ever done at 3DPrint.com—that’s how many offerings there are this week! I won’t waste your time in this introduction...

3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: September 3, 2023

In the 3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup this week, 3D Systems continues its roadshow, ASTM International starts a professional certificate course, GE Additive holds a webinar about how binder...