In 1989, S. Scott Crump patented Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), a 3D printing technology that uses melted material to form objects layer by layer. Four years later, MIT in Boston achieved 3D color printing, a costly but groundbreaking technology.
Despite the years since 3D printers hit the market, the field continues to evolve and capture interest, driven by advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). We spoke with Bernardo Mattiucci, an innovative technician with extensive experience in various technological fields. He explains why 3D printers remain relevant in 2024 and how AI is redefining this industry.
In the interview that follows, Mattiucci shares his insights, his 3D printing prototype, and how AI is revolutionizing the world of 3D printers, opening up new possibilities and challenges for the industry. He also explores emerging trends and future applications of this rapidly evolving technology.
What was your initial inspiration for developing a 3D printer, and how did your journey begin?
Bernardo Mattiucci: For at least 15 years, since I first saw 3D printers at trade shows in the early 2000s, I thought they were useless. They were targeted at consumers, trying to convince people that they could make anything with a 3D printer. But the reality is, without 3D graphics knowledge, you’re limited. This forced manufacturers to lower costs and product quality to sell.
In 2019, I completed the first phase of a unique prototype I was working on. I needed a quick and easy solution to assemble the parts. 3D printing allowed me to create the pieces, even though they weren’t mechanically perfect, but functional enough to assemble the prototype in a smaller version.
With my skills in designing and building CNC machines (3 and 4 axis mills and engravers), I thought that building a larger printer than those on the market could be a profitable opportunity. At the time, printers with a 450×450 mm print area existed; mine would have a 600×600 mm area in the initial version, but my idea was to create a modular 3D printer, assembled by the end user by putting together a series of pre-assembled parts during production. This would allow for the selection of print area dimensions, useful height, “finishes,” and possible accessories, all without compromising functionality and keeping production costs low.
What are the advantages of your 3D printer compared to those from big brands and Chinese manufacturers?
Bernardo Mattiucci: Our “Quadra” printer is modular (although the current prototype is not) and will be available as a kit. Users can choose sizes and accessories through a website and an online configurator. They will receive a package with all components, including instructions, photos, videos, and more.
Moreover, it’s not just a 3D printer but a multifunctional machine: by simply swapping the SD card with the firmware and the head, it can be a CNC with a spindle, a laser for cutting and engraving, a 3D scanner, or an object manipulator.
The fixed print bed allows the use of flexible filaments, and with the enclosed print chamber and various specific accessories, it could use technical filaments. Designed in Italy!
What specific innovations have you implemented in your design compared to existing technologies?
Bernardo Mattiucci: The Quadra is a Cartesian CNC with a fixed or belt print bed, allowing the printing of multiple pieces in sequence. The head is interchangeable, enabling a switch between an FDM extruder, a spindle, a laser, etc. A unique feature is the totem housing the electronics, separate from the printer body. This allows using a single set of electronics for different models of printers assembled with project parts. This flexibility enables models with a print area of 300x300mm, 600x600mm, 900x900mm, or even 1200×1200 and 1500x1500mm. The useful height can also vary, with options ranging from 150 to 1800 mm, with some limitations for the smaller bed.
How do you tackle the challenges related to price competitiveness against mass producers?
Bernardo Mattiucci: At the moment, I’m not concerned about this issue because I’m still at the beginning. I have yet to go through industrialization, so I hope things will change. I firmly believe that quality and reliability have a cost. Lowering the price too much serves no purpose other than ruining the market.
Today, we have large 3D printers available for just a few hundred euros, but looking at the actual costs, the price of the finished product doesn’t even reach half the total of the individual pieces. So there has to be a hidden problem somewhere, almost always related to reliability. Selling 500-euro printers that need the rubber wheels on the X and Y axis carriages replaced after six months seems deceptive to me.
What materials do you use in your printer, and how do these materials impact the quality and versatility of the final products?
Bernardo Mattiucci: The structure is aluminum with an aluminum back panel and polycarbonate walls. The guides use ball recirculation on the X and Y axes, with some of the most powerful Nema 17 motors available. The Z-axis currently uses four round bars with ball screws and independent Nema 17 motors. Thanks to the printer’s electronics, this ensures perfect alignment of the “XY plane” with the print bed, guaranteeing optimal object printing. In the prototype I assembled, almost all materials are recycled or recovered, except for the guides, ball screws, electronics, and extruder, among the most powerful and reliable on the market.
Can you describe the prototyping and testing process you follow to ensure the reliability of your printer?
Bernardo Mattiucci: The Quadra is currently a unique prototype, still incomplete and needing some minor adjustments, except for the print bed, which isn’t working as I want, but that’s just a cost issue I can’t afford at the moment. I designed this prototype in CAD, analyzed it with a couple of friends, viewed and modified it at least ten times. Then, I started producing the parts to assemble it, some of which were printed with a commercial Chinese printer. I did this work in an attic, so a cramped space where, literally, nothing else fits! The structure has been assembled and disassembled several times, making various recent modifications to make it as robust as possible. The PLA (natural bioplastic) components aren’t the most robust but help keep costs down and speed up the work.
Being a prototype, I tried to complete it as quickly as possible, but my vision for the final product is that every component is assembled and tested properly to meet future customer needs. I don’t accept compromises… whatever I do… I do it well, or I don’t do it at all. Even if it has cost me dearly!
Regarding the use of the printer itself, it starts with a sketch, then moves on to 3D graphics with parametric mechanical CAD. Once the 3D object is obtained digitally, slicing is done with dedicated software (I currently use ideamaker), and then printing proceeds. The most complex part is almost always the 3D design, essential for printing any object. I usually use PLA because the printer isn’t fully fine-tuned, and I have some issues with the print bed. Once the object is made in PLA, it can be refined and reprinted with more expensive and higher-performance technical materials.
This is the process I followed to create the necessary parts to assemble the Quadra. When I find them perfect, I will see about making them with 3D printing using SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) technology and technical materials.
How do you approach sustainability in 3D printer production?
Bernardo Mattiucci: In our industrialized society, there’s an evident cultural problem: the pursuit of maximum profit has driven companies to use excessively cheap materials or components too “critically.” When a replacement part for a commercial product costs more than a new product, the user throws away the old one and buys a new one. This leads to a massive waste of resources and energy and generates waste that is often not recyclable.
My project aims to create a 3D printer that is solid, robust, functional, and durable over time, with the possibility, being modular, of replacing the single broken or defective part and perhaps repairing it easily. I wanted to demonstrate that it’s possible to create a complex project, different from the usual commercial 3D printers. A project built on my personal needs, which can now serve as a base for developing new technological solutions and practical applications.
Now, what I’m looking for are collaborators to help me improve the parts of the project I implemented personally. I’m seeking sponsors who can support me in refining the prototype and the activities needed for its industrialization and distribution.
Which sectors do you see as the most promising for 3D printing applications in the future?
Bernardo Mattiucci: My greatest passion is astronautics. I started dreaming about how to make the outer panels or the entire structure 30 years ago, without knowing anything about 3D printing. Today, I could explain in detail how to build a spaceship hull using 3D technology. For me, the future of 3D printing is in space, but construction and carpentry could also benefit, especially with the use of multiple materials simultaneously.
Prototyping and creating metal objects with 3D printers can significantly improve the quality of final products and reduce costs. Think of intake and exhaust manifolds of an engine, usually made of steel by welding together various cut and shaped tubes. Today, we can print them in 3D in a single piece, improving the mechanical qualities and design.
What are the main advantages of integrating AI into 3D printed object design?
Bernardo Mattiucci: 3D printing, depending on the technology used, offers different mechanical properties even with the same material. Higher resolution improves these properties even in FDM (filament) printing, but it requires much longer print times, increasing the risk of issues.
Carefully designing the object can reduce print time or enhance its mechanical qualities. The position and direction of the extrusion layers significantly influence the object’s qualities. Sometimes, the object is too complex to be printed in the optimal position. A simulation of the print or the final result would help in the design process.
In my experience, slicer software allows you to “see” the expected result, but it doesn’t let you assess mechanical properties based on the positioning or orientation on the print bed. Such a function could solve many problems.
How does AI promote sustainability in 3D printing?
Bernardo Mattiucci: AI in 3D printing can reduce waste. For example, yesterday, the filament I was using got tangled halfway through the spool, stopping the print. AI could detect these issues through video analysis and pause the print, prompting the operator to intervene.
Another example is printing complex objects that may detach from the print bed. Here too, AI can halt the print and request operator intervention.
This is the approach some manufacturers are taking to integrate AI into their printers. Will it work? Maybe, but we’re still in the early stages, despite years of work on this.
What is the future of product customization in 3D printing thanks to AI?
Bernardo Mattiucci: In my opinion, with the evolution of 3D printing and AI, it will be possible to use a variety of materials, even those currently incompatible, to create complex components.
3D printing isn’t just for figurines or prototypes. A wide range of things can be made with this technology. In the aerospace sector, for example, some companies are printing tanks and rocket engine parts. These are experimental applications based on already tested technologies, but the direction is promising.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs looking to enter the 3D printing industry?
Bernardo Mattiucci: First of all, make sure you know what you want to do with the 3D printer. 3D printing should be a strategic choice, not just an experiment.
Creating an object with CNC machines that remove material requires skills and machinery that aren’t always available. The process is complex and lengthy, but the results can be extraordinary. The product design must be tailored for CNC manufacturing.
With 3D printing, you can avoid the complexity of CNC machining, allowing you to create complex structures, like the internal conduits of an engine, without worrying too much about how to manufacture them. Just design them!
It’s essential that the entire 3D design and printing process is overseen by experienced personnel; otherwise, the results will never be of high quality. My project involves using AI instead of gcode. It’s an idea I’ve had for at least a year, but I’d like to consult with experts (SME).
Currently, printing requires a program to run on the printer, a gcode, which is a sequence of commands to move the print head and extruder. Any problem or change requires creating a new program and restarting the print.
I want to eliminate this issue, allowing AI to manage the printer by analyzing the object and asking the operator only for input such as the material, print quality, and number of pieces. Today, slicers have too many parameters and variables!
Bernardo Mattiucci: If anyone is interested, I’m open to any collaboration. Write to Redazione@Rivista.AI.
