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3D Printed Awards

Awards are a great way to acknowledge outstanding achievements, but when it comes to rewarding top shelf performance, why do it with an off the shelf trophy? You know its only going to get tossed in that second draw under the desk next week, you know the one? Its got that collection of lanyards and the stacks of business cards you cant use because they have the old company logo on them!...

3D Printing for Students

We understand how frustrating it can be trying to have your models completed on time for your big finals hand in. University printers with massive backlogs of models to get through, machines broken down, or are you unsure if your model is even suitable for 3d printing. Sound familiar?...

Electric Catamaran

Covid-19 has impacted everyone around the globe, and this was especially true for our friends at Earthling.  While developing their electric powered catamaran, lock downs could not have come at a worse time. The main hull structure of the boat was being built in one country, while componentry was being manufactured and supplied from other countries. Without the possibility of travel, it was impossible to put someone onsite at the overseas boat building facility who would be responsible for ...

We Went Big

When BASF introduced the first Isopropanol-Azole free crop protection fungicide, they needed a clever way to show it off. But just how do you display a chemical compound liquid with impact?Why not 3D print a giant 2 meter tall model of the molecular structure?...

3D Printing in Architecture

3D printing architectural models is one of our most favorite things to do, but it comes with a very love hate relationship. What better way to show off your designs and convey concepts to potential buyers than with a scale model of their potential new structure? Long gone are the days of architects spending countless hours measuring, cutting and gluing materials and components to produce a hand made reconstruction, right? Well.... sort of......

Investment Casting 3D Printed Patterns

3Duke Engineering have been working alongside local Foundries and providing 3D printed parts for use in the investment casting process since 2016! Lost Wax Casting has been around since 3700BC, and with developments in 3D printing technologies and materials, it now has a new lease on life. Substituting traditional wax patterns for 3d printed parts in PLA plastic, and burning out patterns rather than de-waxing, it's now easier than ever to develop and iterate metal cast components....

Te Hau-Ora

In late 2019 Jasmax Architectural firm launched a new brand identity based around their bi-cultural core. Inspired by traditional Maori flutes used in spiritual ceremonies, Te Hau-Ora was created in the form of a 3D printed Koauau with accompanying broach. Jasmax says, “Created as a taonga to honour current employees and welcome new employees into the practice, Te Hau-Ora recognises the importance of belonging to a place of long connection to our land and its people, and it is designed to be p...

The ShieldsUP Project - Keeping Busy During The Lockdown

Approximately 12 hours prior to the initiation of New Zealand's Level 4 lock down, there was chatter within the maker forums about the possible shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) for medical staff. A couple of wise men sent out a few emails, and what ensued over the following 48 hours was pure chaos, yet somehow organised with such harmony. By the time a few Doctors had verified the demand for face shields, we had already 60+ members from the maker community logged into a group cha...

Ironclad Pan Co

The Ironclad Pan Company was founded in 2019 by Kate Slavin, Levi Slavin and Joe Carter. Their aim was to create a sustainable product that would be a return to beautiful craft and traditional techniques. In an era of disposable products, the team wanted to create a meaningful object that people only had to buy once. Something precious, that could be handed down for generations....

Snug Homes - Pourakino

In March of 2018, Prefab NZ ran a design competition to open up the conversation about alternative housing options. The result was to have a pattern-book selection of finalists so that prospective homeowners can pick-and-choose the SNUG option that suits them and their backyard. I was contacted by Pourakino who ended up being 1 of six finalists, to 3D print a representation of their "Whitebaiter" SNUG home to have on display at the judging event....

3D Hubs is Dead

3D Hubs started off with a unique idea. At home print enthusiast like I once was could sign up to 3D hubs and list their own printing service, building a networked community of printers all over the world. Someone could send a design file to 3D Hubs, and it would be printed locally by someone who lives nearby. The company has tens of thousands of people signed up to its network and combined they’ve manufactured more that 1.7 million parts. So far only a handful of...

Using 3D printing and modelling for your architectural projects and pitches

Your tools are incredible at designing and managing the build but to increase the value of your pitch, a 3D model in the hand of your client is something they won't want to give back. Architecture is about combining form and function to create something new, beautiful and fit for purpose. Translating those ideas can have its challenges even with your peers, let alone your clients. Quickly create a tangible model to dramatically increase the impact and understanding of your pitch or idea. As incr...

Metal Casting 3D Printed Parts

It is now easier than ever to produce 3D printed plugs or moulds that foundries can replicate in your desired metal. This can be especially useful for product development, short run manufacturing, one-off unique parts or even artistic pieces that require the mechanical or aesthetic benefits metals have to offer. This method of printing and casting also removes the traditional tool making cost associated with the process, and as foundries only charge for the volume of metal used, it can be a chea...

Upon a Pond - Investment Casting a 3D Printed Sculpture

In the early months of 2016, John Troy O’Sullivan contacted me to discuss the potential of a rather large public art project that was to be produced in bronze from investment casting techniques. This was not the first time we had spoken, as it was him who initiated my first ever prints that were destined to be burnt, melted and sacrificed for his own personal stainless steel investment casting project. Not having seen any drawings or renders, it was very hard to visualise w...

Truck'in Awesome

This means they are specifically set up to perform individual tasks and therefore get fitted with various equipment before they are put on the roads. For this particular case we needed to fit a Power Take Off (PTO) to the engine, also known as a “live drive”. A PTO is a type of mechanical power source, it provides some sort of rotating shaft or flange that’s driven from either the trucks engine or transmission to which hydraulic pumps or gearboxes can be fitted to for the purpose of drivin...

Tribute to Dad

I loved model building and painting and can remember from a very young age my fascination with unscrewing and disassembling toys, watches, radios, you name it! Basically anything I could get my hands on was ultimately pulled apart because of my interest in how things worked (unfortunately at this age re-assembly was never a strong point of mine!). Over the years I spent countless hours in the shed with my late father Bruce Barnes, a successful entrepreneur, who I know continues to influence...

Naked ladies

I dropped off some #3dprinted #nakedladies to the foundry to show them a new polishable filament I was trialling. Got a call to say they cast them in bronze... The finishing possibilities are endless!...