Note 0113D Printing2 min read
Large-format 3D printing: bigger than the printer
How large models and sculptures are printed in sections, joined and finished so the seams disappear, three real pieces up to six metres, and what to plan.
Every printer has a build volume, the largest box it can print in one go. Most pieces fit comfortably. A sculpture for a lobby, a model of a building or a mascot that stands on the floor does not, and those are some of the most rewarding pieces to make.
Printed in sections
A large piece is divided into sections that each fit a printer, with joints designed in so the parts line up exactly. The sections can print side by side on several printers, so a large model does not wait on one enormous print.
Joined and made whole
The sections are joined, and then the seams are filled and sanded until they disappear. Done well, nobody looking at the finished piece can tell where one section ended and the next began.
Three large pieces we made
The Female Statue is 164 cm tall: a low-poly figure in metallic gold running out through a dark, fractured stone wall. She was modelled in 3D in 14 hours and printed in PETG in sections over two days, then joined at the seams, finished smooth and painted; she now hangs on her client's wall.
The Hand of Justice is a metre tall. It was printed in parts on three printers at once, about twelve hours each, in parts strong enough and free of warping across its full height, then assembled, its seams smoothed, and painted in maroon, white and gold.
The largest is a sewer network model, six metres by three, whose parts were printed on 32 machines, 130 hours in all, then finished and assembled into one layout visitors walk round.
Strong enough to stand
A large piece has to carry its own weight, survive being moved and sometimes stand where people lean on it. Wall thickness, internal structure and how it is fixed to its base are all decided in the design, not afterwards.
Planning a large piece
- Where it will stand, and whether it must fit through a door or into a vehicle
- Whether it stays in one place or travels to events
- Indoors or outdoors, which decides the material and the finish
- The date it has to be in place
For a very large piece, a small printed model first is a quick way to agree the shape before the full size is made. Our note on prototypes explains why that step pays for itself.
Follow the studio
The work in these notes, as it is made: pieces off the printers, systems going live.
