A valuable piece of furniture is distinguished by the way it manages to mix tradition and innovation, solidity and flexibility. And so must the technology that produces it. This is why the Rossato company, an important Verona company, has integrated 3ntr’s A2v4 3D printer into its custom productions.
Evolving with additive manufacturing to seize new opportunities
“To make a prototype with complicated geometries in a short timeframe, we had two ways: stop traditional production or use a 3D printer. And that was the turning point.” This is how R. Soave and D. Bertagnin, design engineers, tell how additive manufacturing has become part of the experience (and satisfaction) of the company whose core business is the production of chairs, armchairs and furnishing accessories in solid wood, on commission and exclusively.
“Most of our customers,” continue Soave and Bertagnin, “work for the high-end design and luxury market. Every single object involves careful and meticulous research, making it both structural and beautiful to look at. This research and the ever-changing stylistic trends lead designers to demand ever more complex and particular shapes to be realised in an ever shorter time. At a certain point, it therefore became necessary for us to speed up and make design and prototyping more efficient. Thus, we thought of a 3D printer, which would also be useful for creating templates and special fixings to simplify and speed up production”.
New requirements, new timing
Rossato’s experience shows that haste is not always a bad counsellor. In today’s manufacturing world, it is a constant condition and an important stimulus to update production, especially those considered more ‘traditional’. The important thing is to have clear ideas, to find the right solution for specific needs: as happened in the Verona company’s encounter with 3ntr’s A2v4 3D printer. “We were not experts in the field, but we were clear about what the 3D printer would need to be and do to make a difference,” explain Soave and Bertagnin: “It had to be solid but reasonably priced; it had to have its own slicer software (the software used to communicate the instructions to the printer to create the real object from the digital model); it had to work on its own and already tested materials, but also be ‘open’ to using materials from other manufacturers. In fact, one of our goals was to develop a new material, and it was important to find a 3D printer manufacturer made in Italy willing to collaborate in this research”.
3ntr’s additive manufacturing is not just a 3D printer
After attending a number of open days on the subject, Rossato met 3ntr and, after explaining well the requirements to be met, realised that the A2v4 model was the right one in terms of size, precision and print quality – all tested before purchase. As a further guarantee: an uncommon support service, ready to deal with any evolving needs. And so, two years ago, an adventure began that sees the creation of numerous prototypes of semi-structural chairs and armchairs; the production of a few small batches of accessories; the production of templates and sub-pieces. All thanks to the use, sometimes experimental, of differentiated materials, even in combination: ABS, ASA, ELASTO, NYLON, supports such as SSU-00 and SSU-04. “This is certainly the feature we prefer,” reveal Rossato’s designers: “the reliability of the materials and the possibility of using filaments from different manufacturers has allowed us to use some particular materials using 3ntr technology, such as the WOOD LOADED PLA filament, and to use the slicer in advanced mode”.
Optimising resources in an uncertain historical moment
Thanks to the new possibilities introduced by 3ntr’s A2v4 in Rossato, it was possible to print all the components of the first prototype in just one week and, after the customer’s comments, to have a rework with the required modifications and definition of the details at upholstery and paint level. This allowed the company to create the programmes for the final part directly on the machining centres, without wasting material, time and energy.
One day, this story could be your story. Contact us to discover our professional solutions for 3D Printing. With the help of our consultants we will find new solutions for your design and production.
Give your business new strength with 3ntr 3D printers.