Music Tech Monday: 3D-printed instruments

The instrument manufacturing company ODD Guitars has been implementing 3D-printing technology to generate all sorts of cool things.

The company was originated by design engineer Olaf Diegel, whose love for 3D-printing was the catalyst for this venture. By trade, Diegel is a professor of mechatronics at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand. While visiting Durban, South Africa, Diegel was inspired to create unique instruments when he saw tiny drops of oil merging into a cellular pattern on a harbor's surface. The intricate nature-made design was very organic. It reminded Diegel of atomic structures one could see through a microscope.   

ODD Guitars uses Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), a process that takes a layer of nylon powder, fuses it into the specific locations to fit the components. Next, the layer is placed down at a fraction of a millimeter and a second layer of powder is spread on top of the original. This procedure is repeated several times until the full device is complete. The finished  layer measures 0.1 mm thick.

All external hardware, such as the bridge, neck, pickups, and tuning heads, used on the guitars are store-bought, and can be tailored to the customer’s liking.

Other 3D-printed products that ODD creates include the ODDBot omnidirectional mecanum wheeled robot that moves sideways. All parts for this robot are entirely 3D-printed, and an optional additional battery can be included. A custom infocast power circuit with a 5V battery can also be inserted into the ODDBot to regulate voltage.

The 3D-printed keyboard was constructed by using an sPro 230 SLS system, which will soon be available for purchase. The material used is the strong form of nylon, Duraform PA. The Atom 3D-printed Drum Kit was built similarly to the keyboard, using the SLS system to print, and with a 0.1-mm print resolution. All drum hardware is from a Sonor SmartForce drum kit. The drum kit will be on the market later this year.

There are eight designs to select from when ordering your guitar or bass. Once the design is 3D-printed and all external hardware is installed, the instrument is ready to be shipped. Orders can be placed through Cubify.  

Story via Odd.org.nz, Cubify