Complex mannequins for fashion display are one application for large-scale 3D print
IsraeIi developer of large-scale 3D printers Massivit has introduced a smaller, cheaper entry-level model to promote exploration of the technology’s signage and display possibilities.
Making its European debut at Fespa this week, the Massivit 1500 Exploration uses the same layered 3D build process and media as the larger 1800 model but with a maximum build height of 1.5m (versus 1.8m) and only one print head rather than two, so that only one item may be “printed” at a time.
This takes €100,000 off the price, putting the entry-level for 3D print and 2D enhancement at around €250,000.
In addition to the 3D figures for promotional purposes, Massivit used its stand at Fespa to show how its printers could be used to showcase clothing by producing figures in poses that conventional mannequins cannot adopt and a customer-derived application that allows non-rectangular backlit fabric displays to be created. Custom illuminated lettering and logos are another application, as are moulds for short-run (30 to 50 items) thermoforming production.
Speaking of the possibilities of 2D enhancement to Digital Printer, marketing director Isabelle Marelly gave the example of promotional buses for the Angry Birds film, in which a campaign initially featuring internally lit faces and beaks mounted on banners on three buses in New York was extended to three other US cities because of its success:
‘People don’t see billboards any more. If brands do something that’s different each time, it stands out. It’s about creating a buzz,’ she said.
