industrial designer Yves Béhar has created the Vine collection with Forust 3D printing technology.
Desktop Metal is continuing to expand its 3D printing capabilities beyond metals with the launch of Forust, a new process and subsidiary for the high-volume additive manufacturing of end use wood parts.
The process uses Desktop Metal’s single pass binder jetting technology to turn waste sawdust and lignin into luxury, sustainably manufactured custom wood products such as furniture, interiors and architectural pieces featuring a “digital grain” throughout.
Depending on the application, the process can be carried out on Desktop Metal’s Shop System 3D printer or a custom version of the new large-format RAM 336TM 3D printer, acquired via the company's takeover of EnvisionTEC earlier this year. During printing, layers of specially treated sawdust are spread and bound by a non-toxic and biodegradable binder and, once finished, parts can be sanded, stained, polished, dyed, coated and refinished in the same manner as traditionally manufactured wood components. To create the "digital grain", software allows for designers to reproduce a variety of wood grain including rosewood, ash, zebrano, ebony and mahogany, among others, while finished parts can also support a variety of wood stains at launch, including natural, oak, ash and walnut.
The project has been led by former Boston Ceramics CEO Andrew Jeffrey alongside Emerging Objects founders Virginia San Fratello, Chair of the Department of Design at San Jose State University, and Ronald Rael, Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of California Berkeley.
“Forust offers nearly unlimited design flexibility,” Jeffery commented. “From exotic grain structures to grainless wood, we can digitally reproduce wood textures and a myriad of grain types. And, because they are made from a wood and bioresin compound, these parts exhibit the functionality and stiffness in line with conventional wood. Our finished pieces are indistinguishable from traditionally manufactured wood products you would find in a store. The additive manufacturing process literally becomes invisible.”
Desktop Metal’s single pass binder jetting technology to turn waste sawdust dust and lignin into sustainably manufactured custom wood products.
“Applications for Forust’s wood parts are really limitless,” said Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “There are many applications where polymers and plastics are used today where you can now cost-effectively replace with sustainably manufactured wood parts – luxurious, high-end components in interiors, consumer electronics, instruments, aviation, boats, home goods and eventually in flooring and exterior roofing applications. For the first time, we can produce beautiful parts with the same durability and characteristics you would have in traditionally manufactured wood, but printed using upcycled materials which does not require cutting down or harvesting trees. With Forust, we have the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on sustainability, climate change and waste issues that we as a humanity have brought to the planet. For each tree saved, we are reducing the carbon footprint by a metric ton over its lifetime.”
Designers, manufacturers and even consumers can submit their custom designs via Forust’s online store while a collection of consumer home goods designed in collaboration with independent designers and brands is currently readily available to purchase on-demand. One of those partnerships is with industrial designer Yves Béhar, who has adopted the technology to create the Vine collection, which includes a vessel, bowl, basket and tray.
“As a designer, I use a lot of wood and being able to use a product made from sawdust and lignin is an amazing resource,” said Béhar. “The future of design and production really hinges on new technologies coming on and allowing designers to approach materials and manufacturing in ways that are sustainable, in ways that are low carbon footprint, in ways that we are using waste instead of cutting down more trees or extracting more oil out of the soil. Design isn’t just something that remains the same all the time. This new technology allows us to really address some of the critical problems around the environment and global warming that we are facing.”
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