The beauty of 3-D printing technology is the extraordinary geometries possible with the help of its additive manufacturing ability. The initial problem with the method was that the range of materials was limited to some thermoplastic ones only, but now metals and even their alloys are being used to make intricate patterns and geometries. They are being used to make dies, molds and even cutlery and household items. Here we are going to present you with some awesome 3-D printed metal faucets that will seem unreal in appearance.
These faucets are a definite prequel to a new line of toiletries and interior decoration. Previously, they couldn’t be manufactured on a large scale due to constraints by conventional machining processes. The organization behind these incredible pieces of art is American Standard, and they would look stunning everywhere they are placed. Their intricate geometry made it compulsory for the engineers to undergo a mandatory computational fluid dynamics analysis. It ensured smooth water flow even in these complex taps.
There are various 3D printing technologies prevalent today including Fused Deposition Modeling, Stereolithography, etc. but the American Standard used the upcoming Laser Sintering process to manufactures these beauties. A computer-guided Laser beam melts and fuses successive layers of material together. They are shaved and polished with traditional methods as
part of their high-end finish.
It takes a full day for the printers to print out a faucet like these. But the plus point is that each of them has a custom design, and they can be tweaked with just a click in the CAD environment. No need to change manufacturing lines at all! They will be available at retail within the next twelve months, but the exorbitant price of these items is still an issue. Each of them reportedly goes up for sale at 20,000 $. That’s too much for the average households, but the mega hotels and corporate sectors will definitely look into it.
