As the award nominees role out for the 3D Print Show in London, we become privy to 3D prints and names that are not quite secret and will soon have their designs and ideas proliferated throughout the industry and beyond. One of the potential winners for artist of the year hails from Prague, Martin Žampach. The man knows his 3DP and his designs speak to his keen eye for texture and movement in objects ranging from lamps to ham stands to vases.
In the form of the lampshade, the seeds take root for the waves in the vase design. Martin’s print constructed out of PLA material used an exstrusion 3D printer and, like many of his other projects, can be printed on demand. One of the aims captured in the print is the avoidance of support material. The goal driving the design and production was to use as little material as possible to form a sturdy structure that could be printed in a reasonably short time. Achieving the harmony between structurally sound form and quick print time is a fine line, yet Martin Žampach appears to have found the sweet spot.
Before discussing the piece submitted to the London Show for the coveted award, it would be beneficial to look at another recent product designed by Martin Žampach. The Jamon Stand, or as understood in English, the Ham Stand, acts as a device holding a hunk of meat in place so that a local butcher or meat aficionado may safely and deftly slice away. Because of the functional design, the stand can be disassembled quickly due to two hexagonal screws attaching parts and can therefore be folded and stored easily and safely. Part of the design provides magnets for knives and anti-slipping points for secure stability. The two aforementioned prints with function and aesthetics in mind lead to the print on display for the London 3D Print Show.
The vase, named Wave, is a mesmerizing work of art that has a simple beauty yet captures a dynamism. An illusion of movement, waves of sound or streams of vibrations form the vase available in any color on the market for FDM (FFF) technology. The vase sought, like the lampshade, a harmony between time and preserving the design without the need of support. The goal seems more fascinating considering the layered appearance of the vase. 3D parametric modeling SW, Repetier host, and Slic3r created Wave which was printed with an FDM/FFF printer. Four designs are available depending on preference, yet each work is a work of cascading beauty.
