daniel de bruin explores ownership with hand-powered analog 3D printer

daniel de bruin explores ownership with hand-powered analog 3D printer
all images courtesy of daniel de bruin 

walk into any university product design studio across the world and you’ll likely see the same scenes time and time again: the disgruntled newcomer furious about having to produce fifty sketches by class tomorrow morning, a small group of still-dedicated seniors clicking away at CAD files with bloodshot, sleep deprived eyes, some poor soul passed out amongst a heaping pile of candy and chip wrappers with a lumpy backpack for a pillow, and subtly, in the background, the quiet clicks and buzzes of laser-cutters, CNCs, and 3D printers.

unbaked vases produced using ‘this new technology’ 

netherlands-based daniel de bruin is one of countless young industrial designers whose education was radically altered by the 3D printer; but is that necessarily a good thing? ‘3D printing allows me to create products swiftly and more efficiently then ever, but these products don’t feel like they’re mine. they’re merely a product of this new technology,’ says de bruin. ‘this new technology’ began as an attempt to reclaim ownership over his work.

by physically building and powering the machine that produces each piece, he hopes to rediscover the sense of having created something entirely his own. the apparatus functions by a pulley system that lifts and presses ten kilos of weight simultaneously. as the load moves upwards — powered by de bruin — it exerts force on a clay-packed syringe. pressure drives the clay out onto a plate that, through a series of gears, spins at the same rate as the material deploys. moving the contraption by hand — via weight and guiding wire — allows him to have a physical and emotional connection to the process. a product is the direct result of the energy that has gone into it. after the clay forms are ‘printed’, they are glazed and baked in a conventional kiln.

six baked vases

‘this new technology’ was constructed in phases with no fixed plan on how to make any of the components. the computer was forgone, leaving de bruin with nothing but his wits, his hands, and a workshop full of bits. the first step was to make the pressing mechanism, the rack, and a method of propulsion. there were tons of factors to think about, and even more to choose from. the single biggest challenge to the project was maintaining a uniform wall thickness as the diameter becomes larger or smaller. this was solved by pairing a variomatic system that works in tandem with the guide wire.

the machine stands two meters tall

‘more and more products are being fashioned by means of automated processes. not only are these more efficient and cheaper, they also ensure that every item meets the same strict criteria, and doesn’t deviate from the norm. however, deviations are usually the most interesting. as with humankind and nature, true beauty lies in diversity.’  – daniel de bruin.

guiding mechanism

during new york design week 2016, daniel de bruin presents ‘this new technology’ at wanted design manhattan as part of ventura projects‘ ‘the dutch edition’ exhibition. 

putting different colors of clay in the syringe results in layers and gradients 

each result reflects the inperfect hand of the maker

detail of printing process

designboom has received this project through its ‘DIY submissions’ feature, which welcomes readers to submit their own work for publication. see more designboom readers submissions here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom