Applications of additive technologies in jewelry production

Laser metal fusion is also known as 3d metal printing and is now the field of additive manufacturing industry with the greatest potential for development and growth.

A high intensity laser selectively melts the metallic powders following a course defined by cad design and creating three-dimensional metal objects.

A variety of metals can be used with LMF technology including steel and bronze, which are the most common, and gold and platinum which are now being researched and closely examined. Our experience in additive printing began from this research a few years ago with the collaboration of sisma.

We started with a few tests and we immediately realized that additive production has certain characteristics that make it unique.

Let’s take a closer look

Additive production has particular characteristics that make it unique:

No cost for creating production moulds, tools and equipment

Reduction in costs and in design to prototype times

Reduced production scrap and environmental protection

Maximum freedom in the design stage. In fact, LMF can create extremely complex shapes that cannot be made with other technologies.

In detail:

– 1 – no cost for creating production moulds, tools and equipment

With LMF, precise machine centring, to be used, for example, for laser engraving, can be done simply and at a contained cost and blocking mechanisms for creating serial items and small prints can be used that reduce both costs in the production phase and re-production times.

– 2 – reduction in costs and in design to prototype times

Creating a model and arriving at the master copy is much faster with LMF than going through the classical production channels. The visual perception on video of the created item is followed a few hours later by its tactile perception, notably cutting verification times for creating the master copy.

– 3 -reduced production scrap and environmental protection

Producing with LMF means reducing waste and energy consumption. In traditional processing methods, micro-casting, for example, many steps are required to create an object involving wax, rubber and plaster scrap. The time of the entire production process with LMF is radically reduced and scrap with it.

– 4 -maximum freedom in the design phase. LMF can create extremely complex shapes that cannot be made with other technologies

The advantages of direct metal printing compared to lost wax casting are incredible both in terms of precision and geometric possibilities. One example is jewellery that looks like sculpture. Nuovi Gioielli’s experience with LMF stemmed from the desire to approach new technologies and production techniques to accompany artisan workmanship. With LMF, the design is always new and many creative limitations, often due to traditional processing techniques and the many production stages, can be avoided with this technique.

An object like the one you can see, can be made with one single process.

Having control over the results that we want to achieve, creativity can be expressed without limits, uniting aesthetics, production and architectonic technique into one single item.

The designer controls the whole production process, from the creative phase to powder verification, from fusion to the post process.

METALPIXEL

Research and development into LMF processes have led us to create METALPIXEL

In 1800, jacquard revolutionized the 19 ^th century textile sector and, thanks to this special loom, we can still create complex designs and innumerable patterns for the clothes we wear.

More than 200 years later, Nuovi Gioielli, using LMF technology, applies the softness of fabric and jaquard patterns to metal. The result is something quite unique that has many applications, not only in the jewellery sector but also in the much wider fashion and design industry.

Imagine a shirt cuff, imagine an insert in a bag or simply imagine, because METALPIXEL can be anything and everything you want.

Fabrics and their patterns have always been the essence of fashion. Metal, due to its solidness, has always taken a backseat in the accessory world. Now, with this new processing technique, it can become an integral part of a new way of conceiving textiles, softness and customs.