Incus GmbH collaborated with engineer and artist Jacob Eldred to create a ceremonial mace for Yale University, employing its metal 3D printing technology in the process, as revealed in their LinkedIn announcement. This mace, being a symbol of advanced modern engineering, incorporates both traditional components and new, cutting-edge techniques. Designed to showcase the evolution of engineering, it merges historical craftsmanship with contemporary technologies like 3D printing, evident in its structure, surfacing, and material composition.
The base of the mace is crafted from intricately hand-carved wood, leading up to a sophisticated, composite structure of brass and copper. Its top is geometrically intricate, composed of aluminum and steel, crafted through CNC manufacturing and 3D printing methods. Notably, the top features a 316L stainless steel part fabricated using Incus’ Layer Melt Modelling (LMM) 3D printing technology.
This LMM technology, based on stereolithography principles, is a dual-stage metal manufacturing technique that surpasses the capabilities of traditional laser powder bed fusion by using metal particles instead of resin. Incus highlights the uniformity and adaptability of their technique, qualities that have impressed both engineer and artist Jacob Eldred.
Eldred utilized 3D printing to showcase the potential of additive manufacturing and to illustrate what can be achieved using Incus technology. The 3D printed part by Incus is crucial for the stability of the structure and is located at the ceremonial pole where the trunk divides into branches. The part is noteworthy for its intricate internal geometry and curvatures which traditional methods could not replicate in metal. Thus, the tip of the rod represents the zenith of current engineering and points towards future technological advancements.
For his design, Eldred was inspired by nature while also integrating traditional contours and finishes: “These organic shapes were replaced by flat surfaces and cylinders during the Industrial Revolution due to limitations of earlier machine tools. Now, thanks to advanced automation and 3D printing, we can produce complex curves, overhangs, and lattices. By incorporating these intricate shapes with the Hammer Lab35 printer in my sculpture, I am continuing the legacy of sculptors who push technological limits. I’m eager to see how engineers will start to conceive in these complex forms as they embrace sophisticated manufacturing techniques.”
In his ceremonial mace, Eldred not only embraced the designs and techniques of the past but also sought to incorporate traditional materials. “As an artist and engineer, I am captivated by the resurgence of natural flowing shapes in today’s manufacturing,” Eldred expresses. “Previously, artisans strived to craft the most elaborate and natural designs from wood, ivory, and silver, akin to the exquisite collections seen in princely museums in Dresden and Vienna, which inspired me.”
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