UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent official trip to Israel was reportedly a fairly tense affair on the political front if British news dispatches are to be believed. On a more positive front, the two countries are looking to facilitate ground-breaking research into Alzheimer’s, Type 1 Diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s. However, the trip did have its lighter moments too. The one that attracted our attention here at 3DPI was the moment when Mr Cameron presented the Israeli President, Shimon Peres, with a gift in recognition of the scientific collaboration — it was a 3D printed gift.
The gift was 3D printed using Stratasys Connex technology and was presented to Mr Peres as a diplomatic gift in recognition of the pioneering research being conducted in collaboration between the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre and the University of Nottingham. Indeed scientists at the University of Nottingham have developed revolutionary nano-sized particles that can facilitate the growth of cells, while Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre has pioneered research into Parkinson’s disease for several years. Working closely together, scientists from these two academic establishments are now developing a technology that is designed to deliver these new cells into the brain to aid the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Extending the international collaboration into a diplomatic gift for Israel’s President Peres, British designer, Daniel Hilldrup, and UK service bureau, IPF, were invited by the British Council to 3D print a model using Stratasys’ multi-material Connex technology. Recognizing the scientific research between the nations, the highly complex model features black rubber-like nano-particles suspended in a clear transparent material – made possible with the unique Connex 3D printing technology able to combine these materials in a single printed part. In fact, uniquely, both base materials were mixed together to create 12 other material properties and greyscales to demonstrate the variation in nano particles.
“We’re extremely proud to represent 3D printing on such a prestigious occasion and to push our multi-material technology to its limits, mirroring the advanced scientific research being celebrated by these nations,” says Arita Mattsoff, Vice President Marketing, Stratasys.
“What’s amazing about this gift in particular is that 14 different material combinations were printed in a single part. Not only does it feature black rubber-like parts inside a clear material, each nano-particle varies in hardness and gradient mimicking the individuality of particles in real-life.”
Gary Miller, Head of 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping at IPF, continues: “Like a ship in a bottle, producing a material inside another is just not possible using traditional manufacturing methods. In fact, no other 3D printing technology can print this combination of materials with a clear transparent material and the black. The results were amazing, especially given the fact the whole piece was produced overnight.”
Hilldrup, who designed the piece, concludes: “For a long time in 3D printing, we were limited by the use of only one material at a time when producing a model. Objet Connex Multi-material 3D printing changed everything – it frees you up conceptually to manufacture things that you previously could not visualise. It’s really satisfying when you design something and when it’s actually produced, it is true to the initial vision.”
