This 3D printed faucet just earned an award
American Standard has drummed up a 3D printed faucet, and it's being recognized for its design chops.
DXV by American Standard was awarded the Platinum A' Design Award in the 3D Printed Forms and Products category for its new Shadowbrook 3D printed metal bathroom sink faucet.
This Platinum award is American Standard's highest score in this category and is awarded to only the top 1% of designs submitted to this international competition.
The DXV Shadowbrook faucet is part of a new collection of 3D printed metal faucets created using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), an additive manufacturing process. According to American Standard, these are the first market-ready residential faucets printed in metal, even though plastic prototypes have been around for a few years using this technique.
"To receive this high honor from an eminent international program like the A' Design Award and Competition is a notable accolade to all of us at DXV and American Standard," said Maha El Kharbotly, chief marketing officer of LIXIL Water Technology Americas, the global business unit under which DXV and American Standard operate. "Our talented product design team has accomplished a great deal with this 3D printing breakthrough, continuing our 140-year-old tradition of leading-edge design and high-quality craftsmanship. We are extremely proud of this well-deserved recognition for this innovative faucet."
For faucets, 3D printing allows design to go where it never could before. The Shadowbrook 3D faucet mimics the flow of water over rocks in a riverbed using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) technology to adjust 19 separate waterways to provide the gentle cascading over geometric facets on the spout. This faucet is printed using a computer-guided laser beam that fuses powdered metal into the desired shape with high heat and pressure. A solid metal block gradually rises out of the powder, and is then hand-finished to smooth extraneous metal. Each faucet is then hand-finished by an artisan.
