“Platonic Ark” is a new easy-to-use 3D printer that could help solve many of the problems which architects face with ordinary 3D printers.
One can lose so much time with a custom 3D printer trying to set-up the printer or calibrate its nozzle, for example. Also, you can find yourself stuck in situations where the ordinary printer fails to print the model due to missing a zero of a wall thickness.
The new 3D printer will utilize intelligent automation to get rid of all the technical problems that one might face, saving time for designers and architects.
The Finnish producing company Platonics say that they were able to decrease the pre-processing from several hours to just a few minutes. The new printer calibrates and cleans itself with no extra aid to “spare the user from messy cleaning and handling clogged parts.”
The Ark printer converts the CAD files to 3D STL files in only four steps via a new software which directly utilizes Archicad, Rhino, Revit, Sketchup, and Vectorworks. Contrary to the ordinary printers, the file is transported to the printer via a funky web application.
Courtesy of Platonics
Ark’s developing team had over a thousand fruitful conversations with architects prior to creating the new product. The trial period of the new printer included firms like Serum Architects, Lunden, Verstas Architects, JKMM Architects, and Studio Puisto.
Samuli Woolston, from the prototype’s co-developing company ALA Architects, says: “there’s nothing like a physical model to explain a form.”. He also adds, “the challenge for us is in the amount of hours our staff spends on maintenance and pre-processing files.”
Courtesy of Platonics
An additional feature is the vast array of new materials that can be used for printing. In addition to the custom transparent and opaque materials, the printer can also use wood, clay, Terracotta, bronze, copper, and concrete.
Courtesy of Platonics
Platonic Ark can be pre-ordered at an early bird price of 2,095 EUR from Indiegogo. The Ark will be available on the market starting April 2018.