Macsys Holding BV

3d Printing [2006-2011]

Macsys's pilot project; 3d printed house on wooden pedestal. Details are in the 0.8-1mm range, layer step size is 0.2mm

Macsys was founded as a General Partnership (Dutch V.O.F.) on 13 October 2006 by André Schalkwijk and Marcel Alfons. The name Macsys is inspired by CAM software Cimatron, where MACSYS stands for Machine Coordinate System. Macsys uses SketchUp software to transform architectural 2d drawings into 3d surface models. The 3d surface models are fed into Z-Corp printers to create tangible solid models or maquettes. Z-Corp printers use inkjet-technology to create full color models, making them ideal for visualization.

Traditionally, architectural models are handmade using various materials. These materials have a look and feel that is close to the finished building, something that can not be achieved with 3d printing. The benefit of 3d printing is speed. A virtual 3d model is created faster and in finer detail then hand crafted models, especially if the building design is available digitally. Because 3d printed models are build up in layers, the surface finish is inferior to traditional models. The surface finish however can be improved by sanding or bead blasting.

scanned 2d drawing
ISO-view of both facade- and floor-plan in SketchUp
constructing the 3d model with push-pull tools
finalized 3d model including shadow and sketched lines effect

The first commercial project for Macsys was creating a colored 1:50 scale model of a villa in Dronten. Details include; tiled roof, water drainage pipes and muntin windows. At the time of modeling this project, there was no 'shell function' available in SketchUp, meaning that creating the correct wall thicknesses had to be done manually. A very tedious and time-consuming task, which is fully automated in most solid modelers. The second project was a huge jump in complexity. It was requested to build a scale model of a 900 m² mansion. It was requested to build the model with an open roof, making it possible to view the internal layout. Since the scaled model was larger than the available 3d printer, the model required sectioning. Building plans for the 30m x 30m mansion were available in AutoCad 2d format. The mansion includes: a swimming pool, sauna, fitness room and underground parking. Macsys's third model was a challenge in terms of detailing. The unique house design includes an elevation, round structure, high detail stairs, pillars and balcony. Since printed models are relatively weak, scaling was done non-uniform, so that the finer details are printed somewhat bigger and are thus stronger.

project 1: villa in Dronten, Netherlands - modeled November 2006
project 2: exploded view of mansion - modeled November 2006
project 3: blueprint elevated round house
project 3: printed model of elevated round house - printed January 2007
project 4: apartment building, Hogerijndijk, Woerden, Netherlands - modeled January 2007

After the first projects were successfully launched, demand for models increased. That is why Macsys partnered with a SketchUp modeling firm based in Thailand. This allowed Macsys to increase its design capacity and take on more work and more challenging projects.

special six piece model of villa - modeled February 2007
double housing plan with parking basement
Safety Always Matters (SAM), 3d surface model and printed result
apartment building, Weegbreestraat, Soest, Netherlands
multi print maquette, zorgwoningen, Denekamp, Netherlands - modeled April 2007

Engineering Calculations

Rectilinear Kinematics, Continues motion

Mechanics of Materials

Equilibrium of a Deformable body

Statics

Dynamics

Rectilinear Kinematics, Continues Motion

Rectilinear Kinematics, Erratic Motion

Curvilinear motion: Normal and Tangential components

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Mathcad

Mathcad is computer software primarily intended for the verification, validation, documentation and re-use of engineering calculations developed by Mathsoft. Mathcad is relatively easy to learn and has WYSIWYG functionality, which is a big advantage over the 'hidden' and 'text based' formulas used in Microsoft Exel. Unfortunately Mathcad was purchased by PTC and as a consequence became less accessible, more expensive, more bulky - but - still superior compared to Microsoft Exel. Macsys uses Mathcad Client 2001 for making and reporting engineering calculations. A practical starters guide for learning Mathcad can be found here. More on Mathcad...