5.2.3. Exp03: 3D Printed Feather For this prototype, i made some experiments with 3D printing. I have mixed feelings with this experimentation because to made this feather, i have to use plastic filament, in this case i used FILAFLEX, that is a flexible TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material. First of all, we need to make our 3D Model, to test thickness, elasticity, see how the model is printed and if there are problems when printing. For the Rachis, i made a 22 cms curve line and revolve it, then for the Vexils I draw it in Ilustrator and then export them into Rhino. To make the lines “thick” (cause it’s the only way that the 3D printer can read it) I use Grasshopper where I put Multiple Pipes to be able to generate a thickness of 0.4 mm from the lines. Once we export the file on STL and upload the material into the 3D printer.
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Since the firts prototype was a success, i decided to go further and I decided to print as many feathers as could fit on the printer’s workbench. For the next printed i’ll try another Feather model, one that has more concentrated line drawings and that the fetaher is of a smaller size, trying to “take to the limit” of what the 3D printer allows me to do. The results of this experiment are completely successful, so impressed of what we can make with a 3D printer. One of the things that i would like to improve, is the material. For the next experiments I would like to try with some Biofilament, or a compostable or biodegradable one.
