5 dakika Designs Mini 3D Printed Milk Truck Complete with Beverage ‘Tap’ for Local Event

Turkey’s got milk — and it’s also got a developing 3D printing community boasting some serious technical skills, artistic creativity, and craftsmanship. Both industries — old and new — are thriving in Turkey, with the newer technology of 3D design and 3D printing beginning to make waves and gain momentum.

Recently, thanks to 5 dakika and a collaboration with Studioflow, coordinated by Serdar Okumuş and Kağan Hanoğlu, children and adults alike in Turkey were given quite the surprise — and opportunity to check out the new technology — at an event put on by the Ülker dairy company with an amazingly detailed, 3D printed milk truck.

Because the Turkish milk routes are so highly traveled and the trucks are so visible on their many trips to and from Turkey’s milk factories, Ülker thought using innovation like 3D printing for a 200 centimeter-long replica would be a showstopping way to celebrate their company and the milk trucks that wind their way through the towns and cities of Turkey on a daily basis.

This was not only an extraordinary project in 3D printing, but pushing creative and technological boundaries, the milk company wanted to delight children further by actually having the 3D printed truck function to distribute milk there at the event. With that in mind, the 3D design and 3D print had to be manipulated to make room for a tank that could not only hold milk, but distribute the healthy beverage from built-in ‘taps’ on the top of the 3D printed vehicle.

The intricate design was nearly completely 3D printed in PLA, with the exception of the functioning tank, and the shaft, which had to be constructed using metal. In quite a complicated and amazing production process, the 3D printed parts were made in separate pieces and then put together painstakingly, even adding realistic plexiglass windows afterward.

In the next phase, the 3D printed truck was painted just like Ülker’s real trucks, bearing their company colors and logo. Even the wheels are extremely realistic, silver detailed hubcaps and all. Bearing a shiny royal blue gloss, the tanks really stood out and must have been quite appealing for a crowd of growing, typically thirsty kids.

Headquartered in the world-famous city of Istanbul, 5 dakika is a design team that has been specializing in using 3D printing over the past two years for offering their ‘Experience Design’ services. Founded 14 years ago, the team is diversified in working with both individual and corporate entities, in working on design programs not only for events like Ülker’s, but also spatial design, as well as that of process and a variety of other tasks and projects.

5 dakika is part of the growing community of makers in Turkey, known as Makers Türkiye, which is responsible for a wide variety of innovative 3D printing projects making an impact within their country, and now gaining international attention — with items like the Ülker 3D printed milk truck project. They also specifically provide customized 3D printing services and contribute on a regular basis to 3DPD, which is worth checking out.

As companies like 5 dakika continue to share their projects, we look forward to following the maker movement in Turkey and seeing how they continue to top themselves following this most recent project.

Were you aware that 3D printing was so popular in countries like Turkey? Have you been involved in any 3D printing projects overseas? Share with us in the Miniature Turkish 3D Printed Milk Truck forum over at 3DPB.com.