Forust 3d wood printing uses natural wood powder and lignin to make 100 percent wood-based, complex products not possible by other processes. Most 3D printers can print PLA filaments that contain wood powder mixed inside them, which is not 100 percent wood. Forust has invented a new 3D printer that can print in all wood powder or ground sawdust, using lignin as the binder.
Lignin is a polymer that exists in wood naturally, which one of the primary functions is to support the wood structure. Because of its tendency to turn yellow with age, paper-making processes typically remove lignin and reuse it as fuel. (Ref: lignin)
Advantages[tie_index]Advantages[/tie_index]
Sustainable Material[tie_index]Sustainable Material[/tie_index]
The material for 3D printing uses 100 percent of natural wood byproducts, which are sawdust and lignin that are wastes from traditional carpentry workshops.
Anyone Can be a Woodcarver[tie_index]Anyone Can be a Woodcarver[/tie_index]
Now everyone can be a woodcarver if they know how to design in 3D models. Unlike woodcarving, which requires hand skills, 3D wood printing tests the skills of the designer in using the 3D software, such as Autodesk Inventor or Dassault Solidworks.
Consistency and Difficult Profiles [tie_index]Consistency and Difficult Profiles[/tie_index]
The 3D printing could create perfect and consistent 3D profiles that the woodcarvers cannot achieve with their woodcarving blades. That said, there could be some intricate designs that are easily managed using manual woodcarving by hand, but such limitations are small compared to what the 3D printers can do.
100 Percent Wood-like Characteristics[tie_index]100 Percent Wood-like Characteristics[/tie_index]
Forust’s 3D wood printing basically combines the two natural wood materials back together, so the reconstituted final product is, in fact, wood. As a wood product, it is possible to sand and paint the print with clear or tinted varnishes.
Other Concerns and Potential Improvements[tie_index]Other Concerns and Potential Improvements[/tie_index]
Fire-Retardant Additives[tie_index]Fire-Retardant Additives[/tie_index]
One of the primary concerns with wood products is that they could burn or support burning in case of a fire. Some furniture or store fixtures buyers specifically demand wood material that is fire retardant, and they even perform an onsite test to burn a small sample using lighters.
Fire-retardant is not as demanding as fireproof, and basic tests involve burning the corner of a small sample for 10 seconds and checking if the fire propagates and spread to the entire sample. We foresee it to be possible to add additives into the material base that could improve the fire-retardant ability.
UV or Discoloration Protection[tie_index]UV or Discoloration Protection[/tie_index]
Another common issue is discolouration over time or because of UV exposure. This can happen to both plastic and wood products and is also the reason they removed lignin from the wood in the paper manufacturing process.
Product Cost[tie_index]Product Cost[/tie_index]
Currently, Forust offers to produce 3D printed products including bulk orders, but their web stores only sell 3D printed wood samples and not the 3D printing machinery. We have not asked for any test quote from Forust, but we certainly hope the price of finished products could match existing carpentry products. Otherwise, if the price is too high, there is always an option to switch back to recycled wood powder and PLA mix.
iSANMATE Wood Filament using 20% Wood and 80% PLA
Product Size Limitation[tie_index]Product Size Limitation[/tie_index]
The current system at Forust can produce 350x220x200mm printed parts, and at a printing speed of 3 litres per hour. The size limitation should not be an issue in most cases, since it is possible to glue them together like any normal wood part. However, bigger will always be better as it reduces labour cost and time wasted for an additional step to glue the parts together using clamps, and waiting for it to cure before the next step.
Final Thoughts[tie_index]Final Thoughts[/tie_index]
3D wood printing could be one of the best inventions, as it helps to reuse recycled wood. We foresee global brands such as Nike and Timberland which focused on sustainability will have use for 3D printed wood displays and fixtures for their stores.
3D printing continues to disrupt the traditional manufacturing industry and offers new ways to produce designs that are costly or impossible to produce using traditional methods.
