Designed to meet the needs of an electronic product able to be designed and manufactured within the year. Expose is a traditional Loudspeaker paired with new age digital technology. An obvious choice for fast turn around and easy manufacturing was 3d printing technology. The design exploration investigated the possibilities of 3d printing a loudspeaker with a multi material Printer able to replace many manual and costly processes with a controlled and digital response.
Expose consists of a traditional Loudspeaker design paired with the latest advances in Polyjet 3d printing technology to construct a single print loudspeaker with zero glued junctions. Expose utilises the multi material function of the Objet Connex 500 series printers to combine the rigid and flexible components of a loudspeaker into a single print.
3d Printing in Low-fi and translating this to High Definition allowed for the rapid exploration of concepts and testing of critical components. The high definition printing also allowed for exploration currently not able to be manufactured in traditional loudspeaker design. Reinforcing the cone of the speaker with a honeycomb structure allows the cone to be printed thinner and lighter advancing the sound qualities of a loudspeaker.
Not only does the advances in technology allow for the exploration of quality and manufacturing but it also allows for exploration into new material and aesthetic qualities. By pairing the new digital Loudspeaker with a traditional glass housing we see an interaction of materials that has until has been reserved in its applications. Glass not being the most efficient housing material was given its best sound characteristics by creating the round shape with a gradual drop off to minimise an edge in the sound quality. The speaker incorporates the wiring into the stand to complete a design with no extra components only those critical to its function.
Printing the speaker took nine hours whilst cleaning took around three.
