New to Market – 3D Lamp
I have been busy working away on my 3D lamp, something I first created some twelve months ago as a remembrance gift for my wife following the death of our son.
The lamp started off as an imitation candle with a wick but as ideas came to mind, hearing, and sometimes listening, to different peoples opinions the design changed to more of a ‘classic’ looking lamp.
The first lamp showed a beach scene with Ricki, our son, looking out to sea from the shore. I added a few pictures of Ricki-through-the-years including one special one with his mum, added a light fitting and a plug and hey presto – from what looks like a plastic candle with random shapes on the outside – a beautiful memory of the special young man.
I decided to make a couple of lamps for relatives for Christmas presents, both of my nephews had recently got married, both in idyllic locations. The photographs I had and those that I could gather made for perfect scenes on the lamps.
I decided to make a couple of lamps for relatives for Christmas presents, both of my nephews had recently got married, both in idyllic locations. The photographs I had and those that I could gather made for perfect scenes on the lamps.
One of my nephews lives in Spain so, some added planning needed to ensure that the correct light fitting, lead and plug were used to match the Spanish electrical system.
I was not surprised by the reaction of my nephews’ wife, Karla:
I decided to make a couple of lamps for relatives for Christmas presents, both of my nephews had recently got married, both in idyllic locations. The photographs I had and those that I could gather made for perfect scenes on the lamps.
One of my nephews lives in Spain so, some added planning was needed to ensure that the correct light fitting, lead and plug were used to match the Spanish electrical system.
I was not totally surprised by the reaction of my nephews’ wife, Karla:
‘At first, when I saw the gift, I thought it was a candle. Then, when I unwrapped it I didn’t quite understand what it was. I just saw a white cylinder with some weird stressed surface. I thought it was an odd ornament. It wasn’t until I plugged it in and turned it on when it all made sense… and oh my, what a surprise! I can’t really describe the emotion I felt when I saw my pictures so perfectly featuring such a beautiful display. It is like having, in an object that I can touch, a very accurate depiction of my memories, exactly how I cheris’At first, when I saw the gift, I thought it was a candle. Then, when I unwrapped it I didn’t quite understand what it was. I just saw a white cylinder with some weird stressed surface. I thought it was an odd ornament. It wasn’t until I plugged it in and turned it on when it all made sense… and oh my, what a surprise! I can’t really describe the emotion I felt when I saw my pictures so perfectly featuring such a beautiful display. It is like having, in an object that I can touch, a very accurate depiction of my memories, exactly how I cherish them in my mind and heart.’h them in my mind and heart.’
From the day I created the first lamp I have been trying to translate the power of those hidden scenes on to a camera. I have had online guidance from photographers, I have paid money for a professional to capture the lamps oddity and beauty. We are close but still, the camera does not do it justice.
Since those early versions of the lamps, I have been working with a couple of local designers. We have taken the unit from 240v electric bulb to a purpose-made LED light fitting that runs on 5v USB. We incorporated battery power so that the lamps can be placed on a table where there is no available power, a mobile lamp – you could say.
The main change, however, was the method of printing, the original lamps were printed using an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printer. In very simple terms this uses plastic filament that is heated to a point of becoming liquid and then layered to create the object.
As you can see from the adjacent photo, the contours are more pronounced on the early design.
The main change, however, was the method of printing, the original lamps were printed using an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printer. In very simple terms this uses plastic filament that is heated to a point of becoming liquid and then layered to create the object.
As you can see from the adjacent photo, the contours are more pronounced on the early design.
We then tested a similar print on an SLA (Stereolithography) printer. Again, in very simple terms, this uses a liquid resin and through use of lasers hardens the resin in layers to create the object.
As you can see, the contours are much less pronounced, giving a smoother outer surface.
The main change, however, was the method of printing, the original lamps were printed using an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printer. In very simple terms this uses plastic filament that is heated to a point of becoming liquid and then layered to create the object.
As you can see from the adjacent photo, the contours are more pronounced on the early design.
I then tested a similar print on an SLA (Stereolithography) printer. Again, in very simple terms, this uses a liquid resin and through use of lasers hardens the resin in layers to create the object.
As you can see, the contours are much less pronounced, giving a smoother outer surface.
The image quality difference is only realised once a light source is applied to the rear of the print, the detail and clarity of the SLA type print are significantly improved.
The Pro’s & Con’s of the different methods:
FDM: Pro’s
- Cheaper, the cost of the filament is much cheaper than the resin.
- Colours, whilst the lamps only really work when printed in white, there is a wide range of ‘White’ filaments available.
- Speed, I was surprised but, the FDM print is about a third of the time of the SLA print.
- Once your print is finished, apart from a little smoothing off, there is nothing else to do.
FDM Con’s:
- Reliability of a perfect print. These lamps take up to 30 hours to print, an average would be 8 – 12 hours, I found that the success rate of a perfect finished print was inconsistent. I could print two different lamps back-to-back and they would be perfect. the next lamp, it would take perhaps 3 attempts to get the finished lamp. A failure at Hour 1 is not so bad to deal with, a failure at Hour 11 is another matter.
SLA Pro’s:
- Reliability of print. Providing you keep firmware (code on the device) up to date you can almost guarantee that the print will be successful.
- The resin comes in a sealed cartridge, to replenish the material it is a straight one-out one-in process, plus by default, the printer advises you that more material is required.
- The clarity and detail produced, minute details (the reflection of an object caught in a pair of sunglasses) are clearly visible in the lamps.
SLA Con’s:
- Cost of Printer
- Cost of Materials
- Choice of materials
- Unlike FDM Print, once the print is finished it then has to go through a 3-Step process before the component is completed. Rinse – Dry – Cure
I could list many more Pro’s & Con’s for both methods but, failure of the print was my main driver to move from FDM to SLA.
To ensure that the lamps provide a great customer experience we added three brightness settings. The nature of the lamp means that it can be used as a nightlight, table lamp or reading light at a press of a button.
We added remote control, who wants to be bending down to turn a light on when you can simply pick up the remote and control it that way, this is optional though. Many of us have one too many remotes already!
I have decided to do a limited offer of twenty lamps for Christmas 2020.
Since these lamps take many hours to make, each one is unique, designed for the purcahser or the person the lamp is purchased for, I have had to put a limit for this year. Don’t miss out Enquire Now
I need to learn how to market the product, as amazing as it is, unless people know about it then they cannot buy one.
Please take a look, share your thoughts and ideas, and here’s hoping 2021 brings us some “normal”, the opportunity to celebrate again and a whole lot of 3D lamps capturing the moments forever.