Electroplated 3D Printed Bracelet
Summer 2016
The process of electroplating was used to create a nickel coating on a 3D printed bracelet. The bracelet was designed in grasshopper and printed on a Stratasys Mojo printer. It was then coated with an acetone/graphite powder solution to create conductivity. The 3D print was placed in a container filled with nickel acetate and vinegar and connected with nickel wire to the cathode of a small power supply. A bar of nickel was also placed in the container and connected to the anode of the power supply. At a setting of 4V, the 3D print was left for approximately seven hours so that the nickel could fully plate over the graphite/acetone coating. This project tested whether 3D printed objects could retain a metal coating using electroplating.
Software: Rhinoceros 5, Grasshopper, Adobe Photoshop