Updated: Now with promotional video (skip to the end)
Our intern Niels van Valburg has completed his chair design project and named it… FLEX_Link. The FLEX_Link is a chair that anyone can make at home! Two weeks ago we already tweeted the assembled chair and Niels now officially present the finished project.
Earlier this year Niels started with us as an intern and for his bachelor thesis he was to design and print a seating object. The most recent blog regarding his updates can be found here. Now the project has finished, let’s give the stage to Niels himself:
Hey there!
So this is the final result of my chair design project with nGen_FLEX!
Design by Niels van Valburg. Files on Thingiverse and Youmagine
“For the past 5 months I have been working on this project. And in case you are wondering, you can sit on it!
To make this I have used an Ultimaker 2+ equipped with a 0.8 millimeter nozzle and a fresh set of LokBuild on the glass plate for proper adhesion.”
“As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, the decision has been made to design and make a chair that is available to the public. That means using materials that are readliy available for everyone, in this case 18 millimeter thick plywood, and combining them with a couple of spools of filament to make an acual product ready for use.”
Niels himself
The connectors are designed with the possiblities of both the material and 3D printing in mind. The flexible material is also used as a way of ensuring that the connections are strong enough, by letting them flex around the wood.
One of the key aspects of this chair is that since it is easy to make, people can customize the design to their own needs. They can make it bigger, or more ergonomic depending on their demands. Also various types of material can be used in combination with the printed parts.
The chair itself has been designed to support a maximum of 150 kilogram using SolidWorks and FEM methods.
Enjoy!
Niels
The idea behind the design of the chair is that anyone should be able to print and assemble it. Niels has uploaded all the necessary files on Thingiverse and Youmagine:
Take particular note of the instruction manual to assemble the chair. It can be downloaded as a PDF and has been done in true IKEA form! Really impressive work, Niels!
About nGen_FLEX
nGen_FLEX was released in September 2016 at the TCT Show and is our first semi-flexible material. With a Shore A hardness of 95 it is a material that is ideally suited for functional parts. It is not soft and squishy like other flexible materials in the market, but allows for fast printing and printing on 3D printers using a Bowden tube. nGen_FLEX is a material for users looking for an engineering grade flexible filament with a high temperature resistance (over 120 degrees C) and good chemical resistance.
You can read the initial reception of nGen_FLEX here.
nGen_FLEX is made with Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymers, a range of co-polyesters developed with Eastman Chemical Company for 3D printing. Amphora co-polyesters are low-odor, styrene-free choices that are uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient and attractive. You can find more information about co-polyesters in the article we published last summer: What we talk about when we talk about co-polyesters.
Update 7-7-2017:
Here is the promotional video: