Design for 3D Printed Textiles – Where they stand today (in person event)

The event will bring members of the textile and fashion industries and design Academia together with practitioners who are meaningfully exploring the potential of textile related applications of 3D printing.  The aim is to demonstrate the state of the art and offer inspiration and opportunities for new research and industry collaborations.

This is jointly hosted by the UK Design for AM Network and the Knowledge Transfer Network and supported by Manchester Metropolitan University.

This event has been mooted since the early days of the DfAM Network but has been held back by the duration of the pandemic and the belief that for this event, it was imperative to hold it in person, allowing the opportunity for all attendees to handle the projects presented for genuine evaluation.

The day will include presentations of seven textile related projects using a diverse range of 3D printing technologies and offer handling of the materials described and discussion with the designers. The presentations will be followed by breakout group sessions, each hosted by one of the designers or organisers, where attendees will be invited to feed back on the potential they can identify from the projects presented.  These conversations will be recorded and analysed for the production of a positioning paper on the subject.  These sessions are also intended to foster the cross fertilisation of expertise and application within this field to stimulate further progress.

Tours of the MMU “Print City” digital making facility and a display of MMU’s Material and Process Innovation Collection will also form part of the programme for the day.  Additionally loaned for display, Cookson’s Gold are providing some of their 3D printed gold interlocking parts and OurOwnSkin are showing auxetic structures 3D printed in SLS that mimic the tension in skin.

The event is being held at Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University where there is a maximum of 120 attendees.  This will include lunch and refreshments and early registration is advised.

Draft programme:

• Registration from 9.30 am
• 9.30 Material and Process Innovation Collection display
• 10.50 Welcome & presentations
• Presentations from:
  • Dr Mingjng Lin – Senior Lecturer, MA Digital Fashion UCA
  • Gina Barker – MSc Digital Industrialisation graduate
  • Mark Beecroft – Programme Leader Textiles in Practice MMU
  • Edmund Keefe –  Senior Lecturer Digital Industrialisation, Print City MMU
  • Frances Murphy – Post-graduate Research RCA
  • Mark Bloomfield, Associate Professor Herts & Dr Shaun Borstrock, Associate Dean: Business, Innovation & Projects Herts – Modeclix
  • Travis Fitch – Visiting Professor Parson School of Design New York, Fitchwork (via videolink)
• Close at 16.30

Print City tours (please select when booking):

• Tour 1 – 9.45 to 10.50am
• Tour 2 – 13.35 to 14.40pm
• Tour 3 – 16.30 to 17.30pm

Please register for the event, and then indicate if you would like an (optional) Print City tour too. (Please note, Print City is a 10 minute walk from the event venue)

There will be generous space within the auditorium for social distancing and hand sanitiser will be supplied for use during the material handling sessions.  The wearing of face masks by those who chose to do so will be very welcome.

The event is a collaboration between the Design for AM Network and the Knowledge Transfer Network, curated by Jonathan Rowley of Advanced SLS and Mark Beecroft at MMU and with thanks to Cookson’s Gold and OurOwnSkin.

Getting there:

The closest rail station is Manchester Oxford Road

See more information here