| Sandhelden, the founder of custom bathroom products from Gersthofen, Germany, is using additive manufacturing to create unique 3D printed washbasins, soap trays, and even bathtubs made of sand.  The digital manufacturing process of 3D printing enables homeowners to revolutionize their homes through a myriad of unique items, from art to chairs to kitchen utensils. But one area in the home that has not really been influenced by additive manufacturing is the bathroom, where there are many items. Being in the room, it doesn't seem to be customizable. Germany's Sandhelden is a unique manufacturer of 3D-printed sanitary ware that is changing the way people think about 3D printing and the bathroom. Its 3D printing product line is all made with adhesive blasting, including 3D printed washbasins, cutlery and vases. Turn an ordinary bathroom into a veritable modern art collection. Peter Schiffner, Chief Executive Officer of Sandhelden, and Laurens Faure, CEO of the company, founded the company. He explained how the company was formed: 'We started this company at the end of 2014 and I studied architecture in Munich. Our first idea is to open a new market in the health market using 3D printing'. From there, Schiffner and Faure started thinking about how to make 3D printed items for the bathroom and which materials were suitable for the job. Schiffner said that sand is the company's preferred material because it is naturally occurring because of its thermal properties and Products made of sand are 'always unique'. Currently, Sandhelden sells a series of 3D printed sand products, including a series of wash basins that cost between 1,129 and 1,599 euros and a vase that costs 32 to 149 euros for toiletries. The company also developed a stunning 3D print. Bathtub, although this item is currently not listed on the company's online store. But Sandhelden's range of products goes far beyond online listing. Because the company uses 3D printing to create its products, it can produce customized designs for individual customers. This means that businesses like hotels and spas as well as individual homes can order Tailored design for their bathroom. All of these products are built using the company's internal 3D printers, at least one of which looks like an ExOne S-Max printer: 'Now we have three of our own printers and we are using a 'direct binding process' of our products, Said Schiffner. During this process, the sand is mixed with adhesive before printing. Afterwards, each 3D printing product undergoes a lot of post-processing, and uses a special coating to make the product scratch resistant, UV resistant, resistant to detergents and impact resistant The characteristics. Of course, why 3D printing bathroom items are so rare, one of the possible reasons is that people are not sure whether things like 3D printing sinks can safely prevent leakage. So how does Sandhelden guarantee that its 3D printing sand products meet the corresponding standards? 'Our quality process is fully automated,' Schiffner said. 'In the process, from order revenue to product delivery, we use internal checklists to ensure high quality.' By doing so, the German company is taking a slice of the 3D printing market and the household goods market. Schiffner is keen to stress this point. 'In the health market, we are the first company to use 3D printers,' said the CEO. However, this does mean that the company is not aware of how big the current bathroom 3D printing market is or how big it will eventually be. While creating a unique 3D printing product, Sandhelden did experience some problems. The biggest problem was finding the correct surface for the bathtub. Generally speaking, the tub was expected to be smooth due to aesthetic and practical reasons, but this was in use. Sand 3D printing requires some effort. The exciting thing is that Gersthofen is actually seeking to branch out of the sand outside the new material. Schiffner calls it the company's 'very important project'. Schiffner said: 'Over the years, my team and I have been studying other materials instead of sand. We have found something that can make this world a better place. The discovery is plastic waste in the ocean, such as abandoned plastic bottles. These discarded plastic bottles are a serious contaminant and kill marine life around the world. The CEO explained: 'Plastics is a design flaw because it will never disappear and will remain on our planet forever.' The next question is, if animals eat plastic, we also eat plastic. So we produce The plastic is in our stomach. ' In order to solve this problem and produce brand-new 3D printing hygiene products, Sandhelden has developed its own marine waste recycling method and transformed it into 3D printing materials. Huffner believes that this new project is not only beneficial to his just-started company, but also to everyone: 'This innovation can help us clear the oceans, produce green products, and make the world a better place.' |
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