Advances in 3D printing technology are on the cusp of redefining limitations for interior designers and the plumbing industry.
Plumbing
3D printers can reshape the plumbing in our home. Typically water pipes have a fixed and standardized structure to them. The fittings are 90, 45 and T shape angles and the pipes are joined together in these settings only. By using 3D printing for designing, Israeli Designer Maya Ben David created ‘Bypass,’ a system of 3D printed pipe fittings that expand the way the pipes connect. No longer will bathroom or kitchen remodelers be bound by the standard shapes of plumbing pipes.
Taking advantage of 3D printing, someday plumbers will be designing bends with an alternate solution to the typical joint or elbow on the back of their truck. They will be able to bend them and fashion them according to the space’s requirements and not the pre-existing angles available off-the-shelf.
Fixtures
American Standard Brands, one of the largest brands in kitchen and bathroom hardware, recently unveiled a new line of metal 3D printed faucets that make it seem as if the water exiting them appears from nowhere. The American Standard DXV designs are the first entirely 3D printed kitchen faucets on the market. While they have used FDM 3D printing for years to prototype and test their designs, no one has ever produced market ready faucet’s using 3D printing technology. The full line of DXV faucet’s are expected to be available by the middle of next year. Immerse carries DXV and American Standard.
Design
Some believe we are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution. The ability to make whatever you want, whenever you want, will cut down on waste and travel. And the functional applications of 3D printing seems endless. Companies have built all types of furniture and even entire homes using this new technology. The Amsterdam canal will be fitted with the world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge by 2017.
While this technology is still more expensive than mass-producing things using moulds, 3D printing innovations are rapid and soon the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks.
We, at Immerse, are excited to see how this new technology enhances kitchen and bath design and simplifies design for plumbers as well. Stay tuned, we will keep you up to date on DXV’s faucets and any other brands who we represent bringing on the latest in plumbing fixtures.
