Incus GmbH has developed a ceremonial mace for Yale University in collaboration with engineer and artist Jacob Eldred. As the company announced on LinkedIn last week, Incus’ metal 3D printing process was also used in the process. The ceremonial mace is a symbol of current, modern engineering and features traditional and newly manufactured components. The mace itself is intended to reflect the historical development of engineering and so various traditional processes were used in its manufacture, as well as modern technologies – such as 3D printing – which can be seen in its shape, surface structure and materials.
The base is made of hand-carved wood. It then transitions into a more complex shape made of brass and copper and ends in a geometrically sophisticated top. This upper part is made of aluminum and steel and was produced using CNC manufacturing and 3D printing technology. This is also where the 316L stainless steel component manufactured by Incus is located, which was 3D printed using LMM technology.
Left: Incus technology works in a similar way to stereolithography (photo credits: Incus GmbH). Right: The 3D-printed part could not have been produced using other methods (photo credits: Jacob Eldred and Kristin Wagner)
This technology is a metal manufacturing technology based on stereolithography, which runs in a two-stage process and allows more metals to be processed than is the case with laser powder bed fusion. Instead of resin, LMM uses metal particles as the raw material. Incus emphasizes the consistency of its technology and its flexible possibilities. These have also convinced engineer and artist Jacob Eldred.
Eldred used 3D printing to highlight the possibilities of additive manufacturing and demonstrate what can be achieved with Incus technology. Incus’ 3D printed part is located on the ceremonial pole where the trunk transitions into individual branches and is therefore crucial to the stability of the structure. The part itself impresses with its complex internal geometry and curvatures. Traditional processes would not be able to translate this complexity into metal. The tip of the rod thus symbolizes the pinnacle of engineering (from today’s perspective) and its future.
For the design, Eldred drew inspiration from nature while incorporating traditional shapes and finishes: “These organic shapes were replaced by flat planes and cylinders during the Industrial Revolution due to the limitations of early machine tools. Now, with advanced automation and 3D printing, we can create elaborate curves, overhangs, and lattices. By producing these complex shapes with the Hammer Lab35 printer in my sculpture, I’m continuing the tradition of sculptors pushing technological boundaries. I’m excited to see how engineers will begin to think in these complex forms as they adopt advanced manufacturing techniques.”
The ceremonial mace from Incus and Eldred combines traditional methods and 3D printing (photo credits: Jacob Eldred and Kristin Wagner)
In addition to the shapes and techniques of yesteryear, the artist was also keen to integrate traditional materials into his ceremonial mace. “As an artist and engineer, I’m fascinated by the reappearance of natural flowing shapes in manufacturing today,” says Eldred. “In the past, craftsmen competed to create the most intricate and natural forms from wood, ivory, and silver, as seen in princely collections in Dresden and Vienna, which I was inspired by.”
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*Cover Photo Credits: Jacob Eldred and Kristin Wagner