Munich-based 3D printing services bureau Trindo GmbH showed up to Düsseldorf’s 2015 Viscom trade show in style with what they’re calling the first fully 3D printed trade show booth made entirely by an industrial sand 3D printer. The full-sized exhibition booth was 3D printed in large sections that were assembled on site at the international visual communications trade show. Trindo specializes in product development, marketing conception, and retail store and fixture design. The company draws on multiple design and fabrication techniques for their clients, including large-scale 3D printing which could revolutionize retail and trade show displays and allow customers to affordably customize their display fixtures and hardware.
The design and concept were developed by Trindo in association with Clormann Design, a product and graphic design firm also based in Munich. Clormann Design works on a wide range of projects including catalogs, storefront designs and most importantly for this project, on exhibition and trade show architecture. The idea was to construct the Trindo booth using shapes and forms that would be impossible to construct using any traditional manufacturing processes. They decided to create a structure made from organic shapes with a Voronoi pattern that was generated using a computer algorithm so the pattern would be completely unique for each individual piece.
“This project was the ideal way for us to demonstrate that additive manufacturing will soon be revolutionizing areas such as display and exhibition technology as well as interior design. This milestone confirms our vision. We’re more than satisfied with the show’s success as well as the unbelievably positive and manifold feedback we’ve received. The future of these sectors definitely lies in 3D printing,” explained Trindo CEO Bennet Klein.
The booth includes several individual wall modules, eight unique lighted display columns and two different tables. One of the tables was an elaborate 2.7 meter glass-topped desk that was designed to wrap around a white support column. The lighted display plinths had the 3D printed shapes organically wrapped around them. The 3D printed components were manufactured with the help of interior design firm Baumgärtner Einrichtungen GmbH.
All of the 3D printed display pieces were designed with their own connectors that would allow them to easily attach to each other, and the wall behind them. The connectors ensure that the booth components can be quickly assembled and dismantled. The individual parts were all printed using a large-scale 3D printer that uses inkjet-like technology to bind a sand-like material into solid objects. This type of printer is typically used to 3D print molds and prototype automotive or aerospace components, however they have also found uses in art and architectural pieces as well.
“The only limitation at this point is in materials diversity. 3DP technology makes possible the production of parts up to 4 meters in size – complex single part components. Unfortunately all the materials available on the market today are extremely heavy or expensive. For this reason our partner firm, Additive Elements GmbH, is researching new materials that can be optimized for these purposes. We hope to soon be able to offer our customers materials that meet all the requirements for XXL 3D printing,” says Simon Salowsky, CTO at Trindo
The entire 3D printing, post processing and trade show presence was completely documented by multi-media company Ruffcut team with the help of Yago Servatius. You can see their completed video here:
