A new generation of wireless headphones has been designed and manufactured using 3D printing technology.
Design house Ignitec used Stratasys’ Objet30 Pro 3D printer to create the headphones for technology start-up and luxury goods company Audiowings.
The new Audiowings product is a luxury audio headphone that synchronises directly with online music services, such as Spotify, enabling users to listen to their favourite music on-the-go, without the burden of headphone cables.
As well as featuring a built-in storage system, the device also connects wirelessly to the Internet using 3/4G or WiFi, giving users the ability to plug into YouTube and enjoy music from around the world.
In a bid to receive funding, the first fully 3D-printed Audiowings prototype was entered into Sir Richard Branson’s ‘Pitch to Rich’ 2014 competition. The company has since been awarded the ‘People’s Award’, receiving a prestigious mentoring programme from some of the world’s leading business minds. Audiowings is currently finalising its plans to enter the retail market.
“When we were first approached with the concept of Audiowings and briefed on its prototyping requirements, we instantly knew that 3D printing would be the answer,” explains Ben Mazur, director of Ignitec. “Our Stratasys Objet30 Pro 3D Printer was the obvious choice since it has the ability to produce products on demand that depict the accuracy and surface quality of injection moulding.”
Stratasys’ PolyJet–based 3D printing technology features 16 micron accuracy, producing parts that combine high definition with a smooth surface finish, crucial in the development of high quality prototypes.
“Quality is paramount and is the driving force behind all of our projects,” continues Mazur. “We printed the headphones in a durable rigid opaque grey material (VeroGrey), not only enabling us to perfect the look and feel, but also perform ergonomic testing with the user’s comfort – always integral to this development.”
Ignitec’s use of Stratasys’ PolyJet3D printing technology aimed to increase the precision of its prototype parts, as well as reduce its prototyping costs and development cycle times.
“Since introducing Stratasys 3D printing into our workflow, we have cut our finishing time by more than 50% due to the reduction of support material removal required compared to our previous SLA system,” explains Mazur.
“We have also seen a surge in client interest due to the fact that we can now produce prototype parts with a short turnaround time, while retaining the highest quality and remaining cost effective. Being able to offer end-use parts prior to manufacturing is something which is very valuable to our clients and takes away a lot of risk and guess work.”
Andy Middleton, senior vice-president and GM EMEA at Stratasys, concludes: “In today’s economy, product designers are under extreme pressure to take innovation and quickly turn it into a money-making product. Ignitec is a great example of how our PolyJet 3D printing technology is empowering these designers to deliver first class prototypes to their clients with the precision and detail of the final product.
“As such, product development processes are shortening and fantastic products like Audiowings are reaching the market faster than ever before.”