Firms team up to 3D print lamps

A DESIGN STUDIO and a lighting manufacturer have partnered to design 3D-printed wall sconces and lamps made from a corn-based material.

Ammunition and Gantri’s series comprises the Signal, Geo and Carve, which each include designs for wall fixtures, table lamps and floor lights that easily assemble and fit in any environment.

The American duo’s 3D-printed collections comprise wall fixtures, table lamps and floor lights

The lights are made from plastic-like material polylactic acid, or PLA. It is a polyester derived from plant sources such as corn and sugarcane, offering an alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

To manufacture the fixtures, the PLA is fed through Gantri’s in-house 3D printers, a process that the team claims is more sustainable than other methods.

Fixtures in the Signal collection are designed to take cues from the look of traffic signals

‘The whole point of 3D printing is obviously making it much more efficient for designers, but a side effect of it is that we can produce products in a much more environmentally friendly way because there’s less waste,’ Gantri founder Ian Yang told the Circular Lighting Report.

Signal sets are influenced by the look of traffic signals – they all have a circular head fronted with slats on all three designs.

Gantri has also teamed with Smart Design studio to create the Aim Collection, a range made up of four lamps perfected for teleworking.

All 3D-printed, the majority of lamps are made of removable parts, a first for Gantri, who is used to using additive manufacturing to produce lights.

Dan Grossman, industrial design director of Smart Design, says it as a challenge: ‘Gantri had never reached this level of complexity with the articulation of joints and pivots.

‘While it sounds simple, with 3D printing it’s actually quite a big challenge. There has been a ton of thinking and a lot of prototyping and testing to determine material constraints, tolerances, as well as weight and balance.’

Pic: Smart Design