Although 3D printing is typically associated with production and prototyping, its potential to reconstruct, refurbish, and repair artifacts have also drawn some interest. This makes it a helpful tool for museums, historians, and curators who want to combine scanning, printing, and digital models to reconstruct relics or even fossils.
Here are some examples of the techniques through which additive manufacturing technology is giving antique artifacts new life:
Historic Design and Architecture
It’s not surprising that museums and galleries are beginning to embrace 3D printing to create large-scale exhibitions since reproducing buildings and prototypes has traditionally been a big appeal of the technology. The City Hall, Carew Tower, the Roebling Bridge, Plum Street Temple, and streetcars rumbling through the street were all recreated in a standard model of the downtown district by the Cincinnati Museum Center using 3D printing.
Landmark Restoration
3D printing technology has grown to be a valuable tool in creating sculptures and figurines. The profession of artwork and sculpture restoration has benefited from this similar capability to examine and build forms. The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens serves as a wonderful illustration.
Restoration specialists working with Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) undertook the enormous task of restoring the splendor of the 72 dragon statues at the Great Pagoda in 2021. SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) technology by 3D Systems was used to redo these intricate monuments. The dragon statue wasn’t open for visitors for a very long period because of wood deterioration, which required the best contemporary technology to address.
Damage Reconstruction
Historians and archaeologists are attempting to safeguard human civilization in as bleak and bereaved nations as Syria. Numerous historical sites and important landmarks had suffered damage following devastating attacks on the country. After being recaptured by Syrian and Russian forces, Palmyra’s museums and galleries were able to salvage a large number of artifacts.
The damaged artwork and monuments were transported to Rome from Beirut. A committed team of specialists from the Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ICR) got to work restoring each to its former splendor.
In addition to other repair work, technicians managed to 3D print replacement parts of missing sculptures by using laser scanners to collect detailed structural data.
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