Nissan claims to have created the world’s largest sculpture using 3D pen technology, with a full-sized replica of the new Qashqai Black Edition to mark the car’s launch.
The artwork was painstakingly hand-drawn by a talented team of 3D pen artists, using pens supplied by leading brand 3Doodler.
The Qashqai is Europe’s most popular crossover, produced at the Sunderland plant at a rate of 58 every hour, but this full-size bespoke version took 800 man-hours to complete over a three-week period.
The 3D printing industry is predicted to be worth more than $17 billion by 2020 and, as a design technology, it has become increasingly common in manufacturing in recent years, including in the automotive sector.
Launching the innovation on the mass market, the 3Doodler Create 3D pen allows anyone to draw in the air to produce unique three-dimensional shapes and patterns. It works by heating solid plastic to 230°C and forcing it through a nozzle just 0.7 mm wide as it cools. Led by artist Grace Du Prez, the team of artists brought the Qashqai sculpture to life using 13.8 kilometres of plastic strands.
Grace Du Prez commented: “I’ve been drawing with 3Doodler’s pens for a few years now, but this is by far and away my most ambitious commission to date. It demonstrates how far 3D printing technology has come and how it can be used by anyone.”
Koji Nagano, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, commented: “At Nissan we always encourage initiatives where design can be expressed through new and innovative technologies. This artistic team have certainly pushed the boundaries of 3D pen technology in creating an impressive sculpture of our premium Qashqai Black Edition”
The real Nissan Qashqai Black Edition is limited to 3,360 units across Europe. Based on flagship Tekna trim level, it has been enhanced by a number of styling features including 19-inch ‘Ibiscus’ black alloy wheels, signature Black Edition door sills, plus front and rear silver styling plates.