Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsA start-up based in Oakland, California is bringing new meaning to the term “farm to table” by repurposing agricultural waste into 3D-printed furniture.
“We have the capability where you could do a table and then you can do a shelf, you can do a chair — you can do different parts literally back to back to back,” says Model No. CEO Phillip Raub. “If you were doing traditional manufacturing you’d have to go in and you’d probably have to switch out the mold, you’d have to bring in different individuals who maybe train on different products — so it makes it more challenging to be able to execute — especially customizing to-order pieces.
In addition to the plant-based plastic, the company makes use of sustainably sourced or reclaimed wood or other sustainable materials such as aluminum — which is a heavily recycled product.“There’s a lot of advancements that are happening right now in 3D printing but not in the furniture space,” Raub says. “There’s no one out there who’s using 3D printing to make their furniture.”
That is in comparison to maybe using five pounds of material for a two-pound part using traditional methods, Boyd adds.