In a union of two things geeks love, 3D printing specialist Objet Ltd. will be demonstrating how it prints prototype Lego Minifigures and Lego bricks at Lego World 2012, which begins today in Copenhagen.
Kenneth Wested Laursen, head of the Lego Prototyping Department, explained that each Lego item is “born digital” as a CAD drawing and ends up as a mass-manufactured physical product. “The Objet 3D printer is a critical component in the Lego development phase,” he said. “It helps us in getting physical elements for checking the design, build-ability and functionality at a very early point in production.”
Objet’s 3D printers use a patented inkjet-based technology to jet ultra-thin layers of photopolymer materials until they build up into the programmed shape, then the result is cured with UV light. The process delivers models which can be created in-house and handled immediately, allowing any geometry, including even moveable parts.
Related links:
Press release – http://tinyurl.com/6wt6982
