Starting with a retired automotive robot, designer Dirk van der Kooij built his own 3D printer. The machine produces thick ribbons of melted recycled plastic to print chairs, tables, vases, and lamps. Environmental awareness is one consideration, but Van der Kooij is also interested in the resulting
... MoreStarting with a retired automotive robot, designer Dirk van der Kooij built his own 3D printer. The machine produces thick ribbons of melted recycled plastic to print chairs, tables, vases, and lamps. Environmental awareness is one consideration, but Van der Kooij is also interested in the resulting stratified look and the color effects. The Not Only Hollow Chair was printed with a hollow tube of semi-transparent recycled plastic. It resulted in a chair that is both strong and visually striking. The chair in its final design, of which twenty-five were produced, is shown here next to a prototype. The prototype shows the deficiencies of the initial manufacturing process; the plastic was too viscous and cooled too rapidly, so the loops did not stick together well.
