Using the Calibry 3D scanner in the production of metal sculpture using a 3D printer

Briefly: Parc3D, a Russian startup specializing in the production of metal art objects, used 3D technologies (3D scanning and 3D printing) to complete a project commissioned by the Vyksa City administration for City Day.
The task: to find an alternative to artistic casting.
Tools: Calibry 3D scanner, hand-assembled 3D printer, Calibry Nest software, Marlin, Meshmixer.
The result: sculpture production has become twice as fast and cheaper than the traditional manufacturing method. Thus, the production time was reduced from several months to 10 days, saving 9,000 euros.

Vyksa is a small town in Russia, located 350 kilometers from Moscow. The history of the city dates back to 1765, when it was founded. The traditional architecture of wooden houses is closely intertwined with industrial buildings, which gives Vyksa a special look.

The city administration was planning a big celebration of the City Day, so they ordered a sculptural composition symbolizing Vyksa. This task was taken up by Parc 3D, a startup specializing in creating metal art objects using hand-forged and laser-engraved technologies.

The Vyksa city administration asked them to make a sculpture reflecting the history and origin of the city, based on a sketch of two miners made by historians and ethnographers. The project looked quite ambitious, because the company had never done sculpture before.

The traditional method of making metal sculptures is artistic casting, which, according to Parc 3D specialists, is expensive and time—consuming, because the production of such a sculpture as the "Miners" would take from 2 to 6 months, and the cost would be 15,000 euros at best.

The team decided to use 3D technology to make the process more accessible. But from the beginning, they needed a metal printer with a printing area large enough to produce life-size sculptures. After a thorough market research, the Parc 3D team decided to create their own 3D printer capable of metal printing! According to the company’s founders, the reason for creating their own printer was the desire to take more complex and large orders in the field of art objects. The order for the "Miners" arrived at the right time.

This case differs from many others in its monumental approach.:

Step 1. Design and build a 3D printer with a large print area.
Step 2. Search for models.
Step 3. Digitization of models (3D scanning).
Step 4. Data processing and preparation for printing.
Step 5. Print sculptures.
Step 6. Preparing the sculptures for installation.

The first step, the Parc3D team started by creating their own 3D printer. All the mechanics and design were developed by the startup’s specialists; the only parts that were purchased were stepper motors, drivers, and a control board. The software is based on the open source Marlin firmware. The new printer has a print area of 800×800×800mm and high productivity (from 1.5 to 3 kilograms per hour).

The biggest challenge was to print the overhanging corners correctly. The team managed to cope with this task, and now it is the know-how of the company.

After the printer was built and successfully tested, the team began working closely with historians and ethnographers to find suitable models. They had to meet certain criteria: physique and facial features that fit the description; an important point was the presence of a beard.

The next step was to scan the models using the Calibry 3D scanner. "We chose Calibry because, in our opinion, it was the perfect value for money for our project," comments Valery Rysin, one of the company’s founders.

Scanning people can sometimes be difficult because they may inadvertently turn their heads, shift their weight from one foot to the other, and blink. Since the Parc3D team was primarily trying to achieve the desired result, they used markers. After implementing the Live3D feature, scanning in geometric mode went smoothly, and the team managed to obtain high-resolution data.

Along with Calibry Nest software, Autodesk Meshmixer was used for model post-processing. With the help of Meshmixer, Parc3D specialists adapted the model for printing; the main work was done in Calibry Nest.

Printing the models was the final stage of the project. It took about 150 hours and more than 100 kg of welding wire to produce two life-size sculptures (each weighing 80 kg). Even though the 3D printer had a large printing area, each statue was printed with parts that were welded together.

Before installation, the sculptures were sanded and covered with paint. The project at the intersection of technology and art turned out to be more effective than artistic casting.

The total time spent on creating the sculpture was about 10 days, of which it took 1−3 days to prepare the model for printing, and 7 days to print directly (12 hours of work per day).

The production of the sculpture by artistic casting would take from 2 to 6 months.
The cost of such a sculpture as "The Miners" would have cost 15,000 euros if cast. In the case of the 3D printer, the cost was reduced to 6,000 euros.

Now the architectural ensemble of Vyksa, consisting mainly of wooden houses and industrial buildings, has been supplemented with a sculpture created entirely using 3D technologies.