EOS supports 3D printing exhibition at the Science Museum

Replacement body organs, airplane parts and a music box will be among 600 printed objects on display at a new exhibition in London, called 3D: PRINTING THE FUTURE. The free exhibition opens at the Science Museum on 9th October 2013 and will run in the Antenna gallery for nine months.

The increasing availability and decreasing cost of additive manufacturing technology, otherwise known as 3D printing, has led to an explosion of creativity among innovators, from big businesses and the medical industry through to small start-ups, students and artists. The exhibition will explore the rapidly evolving field of 3D printing and its growing impact on society. It will take visitors on a journey through three key sectors in which 3D printing is driving innovation – industry, medicine, and small-scale projects for businesses.

Stuart Jackson, Regional Manager for EOS in the UK and Ireland, added, “As a pioneer in the development of 3D printing since 1989, we are honoured to have been asked to support this exhibition. “It will help to give the general public a better understanding of the technology, the freedom it allows when creating a new design, and the paradigm shift it enables in developing and manufacturing products, with the new possibility of mass customisation.”

Suzy Antoniw, Exhibition Leader, Science Museum said, “3D printing enables engineers and designers to manufacture things they couldn’t make with traditional methods. Every week we learn about new ways in which people from across society are capitalizing on the technology to realize their ideas and enrich people’s lives. Our exhibition aims to shine a light on the latest developments and discuss where the technology may take us in future.”

“EOS has helped by providing an impressive exhibition piece that shows the full capabilities of the technology. It is a replica of a radial engine with moving parts that is an excellent example of how functional components can be manufactured, layer by layer. The model helps support the story of how engineers are using 3D printing to create lighter and more efficient parts for aircraft, potentially saving airlines fuel and material costs.”

Other themes in the exhibition include:
• New ways in which the medical industry is researching 3D printing to fix our bodies by creating replacement parts, from teeth to ears and even simple organs.
• A glimpse into a medical future where doctors may be able to use 3D printing technology to create tablets that can be tailored to each patient’s needs.
• An artificial hand 3D printed from a design created by carpenter Richard Van As, who lost four fingers in an accident. He has made the plans for the hand freely available to anyone online.
• An artwork, called Inversive Embodiment by Tobias Klein – a sculptural piece printed in nylon using data from MRI scans of Tobias Klein’s own body and the iconic structure of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

3D: PRINTING THE FUTURE will also feature a number of miniature 3D printed figures created from 3D scans of visitors who took part in workshops at the museum during the summer holidays. These workshops were part of a summer of 3D themed activities at the Science Museum between 25th July and 1st September 2013. The exhibition is supported by Principal Funder EADS, Major Funders Renishaw and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPRSC), and the Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Research Group (3DPRG) based at The University of Nottingham. EOS model of a radial engine, 3D printed layer by layer from plastic powder in an EOSINT P 760 additive manufacturing machine. The model is on show for nine months in the 3D: PRINTING THE FUTURE exhibition at the Science Museum, London.