Budmen Industries, a team of designers and innovators, has made a 3D printed chair called the ‘The Resolute Chair’ to show the capabilities of their large-format BUILDER 3D printer.
According to the creators, “The Resolute Chair get its name from our 5 year pursuit to design and build a 3D printer that could reliably print a functional and full sized chair. When we set out to make this machine [the BUILDER], we never imagined that it would take dozens of prototypes, and thousands of hours, and years in the making to get it just right.”
“With each prototype the results improved, but it wasn’t until we had built a machine that met our unwavering standards for reliable performance and superior print quality that when we finally printed this chair, we christened it “The Resolute Chair”.”
The Budmen and the BUILDER
3D printing technology is finding increasing application in many areas of art, design, and architecture. To explore what 3D printing can offer in the field of art and design, Budmen has designed its own 3D printers for use in the workshop. For example, the firm’s all-metal body Buildini 3D printer was made for handling experimental materials for printing on fabrics, and 3D printing pastries.
The creators of the Buildini state: “Our objective was to build a 3D printer that could meet the demands of extreme experimentation, print big beautiful objects, and make maintenance fast and easy.”
But the design firm does not believe in design for design’s sake. The firm is committed to 3D print end-use products which are unique and express the individuality of the possessor of the product. Along these lines, Budmen used its large-format FDM/FFF 3D printers to create one hundred unique lamp designs and a DNA-inspired stool.
The Resolute Chair
The Resolute chair is a combination of intelligent design and 3D printing. The voluptuous shape of the chair is inspired by the form of a tree. The shape plays an important part in keeping the chair sturdy. Furthermore, there are no overhangs with an angle larger than 45 degrees. This made the 3D printing process easier, as no support material was necessary to print the chair in full.
It took 93 hours to 3D print The Resolute Chair with the BUILDER 3D printer.
Once the 3D printing process was complete, the chair was smoothed using sanding techniques which removed the lines that are usually visible on a 3D print. Afterward, the chair was coated with a polymer resin to toughen the material and give the chair a finished look. The Resolute Chair is strong enough to tolerate about 115 kgs of weight.
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Feature image shows the Resolute Chair by Budmen Industries. Image via Budmen Industries.
