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IKEA Introduces 3D Printed Consumer Line in Germany - 3DPrint.com
Swedish furniture giant IKEA is embarking on another experiment in 3D printing, this time releasing a series of 3D printed décor under a new FLAMTRÄD product line. As reported by 3D Printing Media Network (3DPMN), the collection was the released under the guidance of Olaf Szukałowicz, Project Leader at IKEA, and is now available to customers in Germany.
The series consists of a handful of decorative items that feature a signature lattice design, including hands in various poses (pointing, thumbs up, a heart shape, etc.) as well as a human face. These are produced with selective laser sintering (SLS) using polyamide 12 and are available in black and white options.
The company is still in the process of rolling out the full launch of the FLAMTRÄD product line, with Szukałowicz telling 3DPrint.com, “Sales have not been fully launched and we expect that to happen in January. So, it is still a silent sales start and too early to judge.
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Though 3DPMN hypothesized that DyeMansion may have been responsible for the post-processing and dying of the SLS parts, IKEA was unable to confirm this out of respect for the confidentiality of its suppliers.
However, if we revisit a 2017 announcement from the Swedish furniture firm, we might wonder if the company is relying on the additive manufacturing (AM) operations of Materflow in Finland, with DyeMansion equipment performing the post-processing. This is because the hands being sold by IKEA Germany today look quite similar to those presented by the company and made by Materflow in 2017. Then again, it’s been about four years since that story came out, so perhaps not all went well with its previous partner in the project.
This time around, it may be that IKEA has found out how to get the prices for 3D printed goods low enough so as to mass produce them. With items priced from €29.99 to €49.99, the FLAMTRÄD line may not be as low cost as other IKEA décor, it represents an accessible price point for average consumers interested in displaying art impossible to find in any other mainstream venue.
For those wishing to get their hands on some 3D printed IKEA goods or for those wishing to gauge the growth of consumer 3D printed goods via IKEA’s endeavors, the company does plan to expand into at least one more market in Europe.
“If those test markets are successful, we don’t want to stop there,” Szukałowicz told 3DPrint.com. “There are few AM initiatives taking part in different IKEA organizations. Some are aiming to improve internal operations and some are more customer-facing. They are all at the early stage, so [there is] nothing more to say. To quote our founder, Ingvar Kamprad: ‘Most things remain undone. Glorious future!’”
As DIY enthusiasts have demonstrated repeatedly, IKEA furniture is ripe for hacking with 3D printed parts. From custom swivel mounts for lights to methods for converting a stool into a bike, there are countless ways that makers have modified their Swedish furniture. The company has even encouraged these projects, hosting a competition to produce hacks for its Frekvens speakers.
Perhaps the most inspiring and practical development that occurred with the help of IKEA is called ThisAbles. In partnership with non-profit organizations Milbat and Access Israel, the company has developed models that can be 3D printed for use with IKEA products to make them more useful for people with special needs. These include 3D printable handles for drawers, pieces for stabilizing straws, a mechanism for supporting mouth-held computing devices and more.
IKEA ThisAbles may be the largest corporate effort to support the differently abled with 3D printing. While we’ve seen smaller, individual projects such as 3D printed adapters for gaming controllers, IKEA has seized upon the value of AM to produce custom goods for niche populations. Though it may not be manufacturing these goods, it opens up its products up to a much larger customer base, simultaneously improving access for those with disabilities and access new customers.
It’s now 2022 and things may have aligned just right for IKEA to cost-effectively produce consumer goods on-demand with 3D printing. If the FLAMTRÄD line proves successful and the company does decide to pursue AM more aggressively, we could eventually see things evolve to the point where IKEA is actually able to produce ThisAble-style items themselves or through a partner, opening the door to mass customization. At that point, we would be able to say 3D printing has “made it”.
Images courtesy of IKEA.
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Tagged with: 3D printed consumer goods • 3D printed homeware • 3d printed housewares • consumer 3d printing • consumer goods • decor • FLAMTRÄD • ikea • mass customization
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IKEA launches FLAMTRÄD on-demand 3D printed decorative items »
Consumer ProductsDesignFurniture
Available only in Germany (for now), to be manufactured on-demand (and we can guess by whom)
Davide SherDecember 30, 2021
3 minutes read
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Furniture and affordable design products giant IKEA has been flirting with 3D printing for some time, with prototypes and experimental projects. Now, under the leadership of Olaf Szukałowicz, the furniture giant introduced FLAMTRÄD, the first commercial line of on-demand, 3D printed decorative items, albeit limited to Germany (for now).
The decorative (but also useful) items are all 3D printed using SLS technology. It is available on-demand only and only via the IKEA Germany website. The collection, part of the Deko Accessories lineup, includes several 3D printed designs under the brand FLAMTRÄD, including two different latticed head sculptures and several more hand sculptures.
Both are available in either black or white.
Each product is described as taking “3D technology to a new level and guaranteed to catch the eye. Nice on its own, but also in combination with other shapes from the same series”. For sure, the price is competitive enough to bring on-demand 3D printed decorative items to a new level of market availability. The items start at just €29,99, with the most expensive priced at €49,99.
Another project by IKEA involving 3D printing saw the company releasing a series of DIY 3D printed add-ons to make its existing products more accessible to those with special needs. The project, called ThisAbles, was launched by IKEA Israel in an effort to make the company’s iconic home furnishings more easily accessible to people with physical disabilities. The product series consists of add-ons like easy handles, mega switches, glass bumpers, friendly zippers, curtain grippers and more, which can all be downloaded as 3D printable files and printed at home or through a service.
Previously IKEA had collaborated with 3D printed custom prosthetic company UNYQ and Sweden’s Area Academy, working together to create a series of ergonomic products for the gaming community. The products aware meant to address common gamers’ health problems such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, and more. The first prototypes for the product range were unveiled under the brand UPPKOPPLA.
FLAMTRÄD in the making since 2017
Upon further research, 3dpbm discovered that IKEA had been working on a very similar pilot project back in 2017, when it introduced its first-ever 3D printed objects in the OMEDELBAR collection, a collaboration with stylist Bea Åkerlund. The item, a mesh-inspired stylistic hand to hang on the wall, has all the traits of 3D printing and is very similar to the hand item in the new FLAMTRÄD collection, with a complex design that would not be possible for economic reasons using traditional techniques like injection molding.
The original OMEDELBAR pilot was conducted by IKEA in collaboration with Shane Hassett, CEO of Wazp, a pioneer in 3D printing for mass production.
He and his 11 colleagues situated in the small town of Tralee on the west coast of Ireland are among the biggest manufacturers by volume of 3D objects in the world. Today Wazp offers one of the world’s most advanced solutions for real on-demand manufacturing, including consumer-direct production AM capabilities for thousands of parts. The company may also be behind the rollout of the FLAMTRÄD
The Wazp solution is based on demand-driven sales, which refers to the manufacturing of products on-demand, after the sale of the product to the consumer, without over or underproduction, with the ultimate goal of achieving a supply-demand equilibrium. Products are digitized, creating new products or redesigning existing, tangible products into digital products to be manufactured into physical products on-demand. This leads to a decentralization of manufacturing, through strategically placed manufacturing facilities, that can reach the customer directly (via D2C business models).
This sustainable supply ensures the products and processes are resource-efficient and more environmentally conscious.
At the time of the OMEDELBAR pilot project, Shane Hassett had made an accurate prediction, saying that “in a couple of years, we expect to see a hybrid of manufacturing and distribution facilities dotted around the globe. We will be able to stream products directly to the point of need of IKEA and their customers – just imagine a “post office” type model 2.0. We have all we need today to create a solution for it; now it is just a matter of time.”
That time may now have come.
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IKEA will 3D print furniture for cybersportsmen – DFKit0004 The Swedish concern intends to produce innovative ergonomic furniture for gamers using 3D printing technology.
This was announced on June 7 at the Democratic Design Days conference in Elmhult. Swedish furniture giant IKEA will take care of the convenience of gamers and e-sportsmen. At the Democratic Design Days conference, the company announced the development of gaming chairs that will use 3D printing technologies. The project will be implemented jointly with partners: the manufacturer of prostheses UNYQ and the e-sports education center Area Academy. The new play furniture will be more ergonomic and individual than store-bought ones.
“In order to improve their performance in esports, people usually want to upgrade their computer, but forget about the workspace. In fact, if you want to be the best, ergonomics is just as important,” explains Area founder Tommi Ingermarsson.
Usually the furniture industry tends to go for standard solutions, but IKEA does not support this trend. The company will attract the best players to research. They will help find the optimal design of gaming chairs to give gamers "feel your body and thus increase performance in the game.
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“We are interested in changing the results of esports players and their life outside the game with the help of new furniture. We work with partners who know all about the needs of gamers and personalization technologies,” says IKEA Design Director Markus Engman.
The partnership also includes work in other areas of eSports, in particular the creation of “more prepared” spaces for competitions and LAN parties.
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