Daniel Hilldrup design
The 3D-printed gift given to the Israeli President made using Stratasys' multi-material 3D printing technology, printed by IPF and designed by Daniel Hilldrup.
David Cameron has presented the President of Israel Shimon Peres with a 3D-printed gift.
The elaborate token was made to recognise an innovative collaboration between both the UK and Israel was produced using cutting-edge, multi-material 3D printing technology from Stratasys, the expertise of UK service bureau IPF and the creativity of designer Daniel Hilldrup.
The Prime Minister presented the diplomatic gift to Peres today (March 19th), acknowledging crucial pioneering research into the development of nano-sized particles that can grow in cells as a treatment for Parkinson's disease. The research is being carried out by both the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre and the University of Nottingham.
The project has been on going for a number of years and aims to deliver new cells into the brains of Parkinson's disease sufferers.
The 3D-printed model presented to Peres is a clear statue interspersed with models of the nano-sized particles in Stratasys' distinctive black rubber-like material. The gift was printed using Stratasys' Objet Connex multi-material 3D printing advancements.
British designer Hilldrup, who is known for making complex jewellery and other unusual statement pieces, together with service bureau IPF, were invited by the British Council to produce a 3D-printed model utilising Stratasys' new multi-material technology. The end result is highly complex and was printed in a single print.
Head of 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping at IPF Gary Miller said: "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 added that the Objet Connext multi-material 3D printing technology has made a big difference, moving the industry away from being "limited by the use of only one material".
"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," he stated.
Vice-President of Marketing at Stratasys Arita Mattsoff said: "We're extremely proud to represent 3D printing in such a prestigious occasion and to push our multi-material technology to its limits, mirroring the advanced scientific research being celebrated by these nations. 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."
