Using digital from a design perspective

Many of MENTOSEN's jewelry are created by using 3D printers to output 3D models created by CAD, or by using CNC cutting.

Modeling with CAD and outputting with a 3D printer is not always good,

At MENTOSEN, one of our goals is to challenge designs that could not be done by hand, so we purposely use digital.

What you can do with digital

 What can you do with digital?

For example, the Shikaku ring rotates 360 degrees while maintaining a certain angle of a 2mm square cube.

First of all, it takes a lot of time to make an accurate prototype of this by hand.

Also, since the ring has a size, you have to increase or decrease the number of cubes for each size.

Honestly, it's not worth the cost.

That's why this kind of design is the first design that can be sold to the world by using CAD and 3D printers.

The computerized design can separate the gold and platinum (silver) parts separately.

Make the platinum part like this

Make the rest of the gold part.

Of course, casting it into metal is actually a lot of human intuition and experience, and I would like to talk about that later.

To realize digitally designed jewelry

I think there are probably many people in the world who can use CAD and 3D printers.

In spite of that, I think that jewelry that is unique to digital design (designed by computer such as CAD), which specializes in design, is difficult to come out.

One of the reasons is that people who can use CAD and 3D printers are overwhelmingly not design people, but technical people and craftsmen.

There is a gap between design and people who manipulate digital.

Until now, digital has been used for mass production and efficiency.

That's why I think that many of the ways in which digital technology has been used up until now have focused on manufacturing from the perspective of "how to make things efficiently?"

On the other hand, even if you can use CAD and 3D printers, in order to actually think about the production system and keep it within the general cost, you will have to change various ideas and exchange new ideas with people in various fields. will be needed.

Comfort and durability when worn

It is also important for jewelry to be comfortable and durable when worn.

What makes jewelry different from other things is that it doesn't break even if you wear it every day.

Durability and eternity at the 100-year level.

Jewelry must be designed so that it can be used even after the people who designed it die.

That is really difficult.

What does it mean when a variety of things appear in the world?

On the other hand, it is fun to challenge various new things.

In the end, I think that the common feeling that doing new things for others is "enjoyable" is condensed into all "lines" and "faces".

 Using digital from a design perspective.

In a sense, it may be to resist the way jewelry has been until now.

Through unprecedented designs and craftsmanship, more diverse jewelry and products will be released to the world.

I feel that this is a step that gently supports people's various ways of life.

By Akiko Yonei