The combination of biochemical material and 3D printers is a significant proposition in the 3D printing industry. In 2021, Flashforge and Kewan work together to discover this scientific issue. Flashforge supports both consumer and professional 3D printers. With the environmentally-friendly filament material UPM Formi from Kewan, two technological companies propose solutions to the architecture, furniture, and design.
Kewan actively organizes community activities, especially among teenagers to spread 3d printing technology. To expand 3d printing research and development, Kewan supports the establishment of the biomass material science museum of Hangzhou Research Institution of Chemical Industry.
Free the filament from tradition
The core technical material of Kewan is UPM Formi, which is invented by Finland UPM. Kewan, Flashforge, et al Chinese enterprises cooperate with Finland to expand the downstream market. UPM Formi material is creative because it is mixed with high draw ratio microfibre and environment-friendly poly e lactobacillus. As the core material in the cellulose biomass material program, it is the bio-degradable certificated by European REACH and PEFC. It is also nontoxic when contacting human skin.
The 3D printing filament, which is mixed with UPM Formi material, owns the unique venation, granule, and the sense of wood. In the material science field, to compare the filament without UPM Formi, the finished projects behave better in heating shrinkage and strong supportability. In the situation of nearly 70°C slants, the supportive structure is even not necessary. Hence, projects printed by the material contained UPI Formi is widely welcomed by furniture producing. UPM Formi could take account in whatever the family atmosphere or art exhibition and is becoming consumers’ first choice.
Success in innovative furniture
The demand for 3D printing grows with the number of clients increasing. From small accessories to furniture, incredible design is applied more to larger projects.
Currently, Kewan uses Flashforge consumer printer Guider 2S and commercial printer Creator 4 as the main productivity. These two models cover the customized demand as wide as possible: Guider 2S runs better in small-size projects. In opposite, Creator 4, which has a large printing chamber, is the primary choice for large-scale project printing.
A few days ago, in an exhibition called in Shanghai, the designers entrusted the 3D printing production, which includes furniture, table set, and lamps, to Kewan. To present the best visual effect and meet the limited lead time, Kewan applied Flashforge Guider 2S and Creator 4.
The two pics below are all printed by filament containing UPM Formi. Even though the material is the same, the lightness and sense are totally different. The researchers from Kewan explained it. The less UPM Formi content, the better expression in detail. Such as small gifts and kits. The more contain of UPM Formi, the stronger sense, and a touch of wood, which is highly interested in designers and furniture manufacturers.
Various 3D printers create multiple productions
UPM Formi material is always unique whatever in exhibition or printer laboratory. In the picture below, 50 Guider 2S in Kewan’s production workshop are operating simultaneously in production.
Guider 2S helps decrease the handover process time sharply. In the periodic practice, Kewan determined Guider 2S as the main force in the producing line in consideration of its outstanding stability in long-term producing (30-40h continuously). The amount of Guider 2S printers in Kewan’s production workshop has been steadily increasing since the cooperation started. Currently 50 units, Kewan plans to add 2 extra units monthly.
Among those various product classifications, the lampshade is the most popular product. Dr. Tian, the senior engineer, and the manager of the 3D printer product line tells Flashforge that the lampshade below is widely praised in marketing and even become demand-exceed. Produced by UPM Formi elegant color series, the lampshade's transparency and wood texture are ideally appropriate to daily illumination and decoration.
However, lampshade, the production in bulk, cannot be held by Guider 2S due to its large printing size. Kewan applied Creator 4 for its production. The large printing chamber contains 400*350*500mm at most, which easily fits the largest lampshade. Every single lampshade needs more than 6 hours of printing, which is included by Creator4’s long-lasting printing hour. Leave the worry to the 3D printer and free the researchers from supervision.
Small setting bench, the most recent order of Kewan, is welcomed by the family with children, community, and the educational institution. The size could be scaled up and down to meet different requirements. All family members can have a specially customized seat for closer affection and interaction. The seat with UPM Formi is enhanced in friction and strength to guarantee family safety, particularly for the children.
Cloud Printing: From data to the product
2021 is the third year that Flashforge corporate with Kewan. 3D printer innovation is not Flashforge’s simple consideration. Flashforge gives priority to promoting and generalizing 3D technology. During the corporation, from machine production to project compliment, Flashforge fully supports detailed 3D printing guidelines and after-project training.
Digital transportation possibly leads the manufacturing revolution. The major areas will develop the local 3D printing department in the future. The manufacturers transfer the digital information to the entity through 3D printers.
Small-scale products, such as household supplies, could even be printed in the home by the domestic 3D printer (Flashforge Adventurer Series). The retails can accept the products digitally rather than physically. Such as furniture and construction materials.
The most immediately relevant factor is digital storage. At present, due to limited room of showroom and warehouse, the retails provide finite production. Once the products information is stored in the cloud system, instant 3D production will be achieved. Flashforge offers multiple data transferred methods: USB connector and WIFI. Through the inner camera of the 3D printer, the owner makes completely surveillance of the whole production process.
Digital retail avoids stock out and eliminates the dull sale. Tomorrow, the 3D printers will detail every single product and split it into components and parts.
Seek forward to opportunities
The corporation between Kewan and Flashforge is a discovery of integrating material science and 3D printing technique. Simultaneously, it is a breakthrough attempt to break the borderline between 3D printing and other industries. In the upcoming 2022, Flashforge devotes itself to making further attempts to impress more fields and generalizing 3D printing techniques to the greater population.
