2018 is here, and we don’t all have 3D printers in our homes. But that doesn’t mean we’re not figuring out how to use of them – for both creative and financial gains.
Carnegie Fabrics is unveiling Dimensional TPO, a collection of new deep-embossed environmental high performance TPO (thermoplastic olefin) wallcoverings, developed using 3D printing tech.
“A lot of what started the development of these textiles is the idea that we crave tactile simulation,” says Mary Holt, executive VP of creative at Carnegie. “We use computers and phones with hard, smooth, cold surfaces. This idea of tactile simulation affected the way we’re developing a lot of our new products, but we’re doing that in a bunch of different ways.”
The primary goal of Carnegie’s design team was to develop “a cost-efficient method for achieving deep-embossed patterns with TPO, offering the textural and aesthetic possibilities previously only available from harmful PVC products. TPO can be printed and colored like other high-performance wallcoverings however previously it was not possible to deeply emboss TPO to achieve true textural potential. Textural effects had to be replicated through clever combinations of coloring and print techniques layered with subtle embosses.”
“TPO is typically very flat, but we wanted to give it that dimensional quality – by making the TPO literally more tactile, not just visually increase it,” says Ms. Holt. “Particularly on walls, where you have so much visual impact, there’s such an opportunity.”
3D printing technology has changed the game over the course of the past 4-5 years. When a company develops an embossed pattern, they need access to an embossed roller used to make it. Those heavy industrial embossed rollers typically run around $30,000 to make, and most designers and their companies tend to stay away from creating a brand new roller for their design because of cost. Instead, they work with existing rollers, often used for apparel design . Existing rollers are available through libraries from manufacturers who’ve already done the tooling for them.
“A lot of the rollers available were first created for use in lingerie apparel development, and the tooling for those runs are often set up to emboss at a lower temperature due to the delicate fabrics they use,” says Ms. Holt. “Our experience with the existing rollers wasn’t getting us where we wanted to be.
“But now, technology in 3D printing has allowed us to create trial rollers, which cost $2500-5000 per roll. The 3D printed rollers allowed us to experiment and play more before investing in a final embossed roller. There’s a ton of experimentation with heat, pressure and other variables. It allows us so much more trial and error in the development process. Ideation is more possible, prototyping is more possible; it’s no longer a one-shot, take it or leave it.”
In the apparel industry, the product runs are much larger upfront than contract textiles, so it’s easily a worthy investment. In contract textiles, it’s a longer-term investment before seeing full returns over time, so there’s more risk.
“As textile designers, we have to think about every variable, every investment, weighing all of the factors to figure out if the end product will be able to support the monetary investment,” notes Ms. Holt.”
Carnegie took their time – four years of experimentation – to perfect the embossing techniques and 3D trials for the new collection.
The new collection, intended for contract, hospitality and healthcare environments, includes two patterns:
Module: “A tile-like pattern consisting of embossed rectangles, closely resembling the classic and ubiquitous subway tile.”
Via: “Imperfect and slightly curving lines create an organic striped pattern and embossed ridge texture.”
“The patterns you think are going to be more difficult to develop are sometimes the easiest, and vice versa,” says Ms. Holt. “Via was simpler to produce because the design itself was more forgiving. Module was more difficult because there’s a little area in the middle where the laminate kept bubbling. It took six trial rollers for us to figure out how to perfect it.”
Carnegie already has a third pattern in the works, and is planning to take these patterns and experiment to give them an even more layered look. The new collection shows Carnegie’s perseverance to give the A&D community safe and sustainable products that move the design dial forward, too.
