Nissan in 3D world first

Nissan has created the world’s largest sculpture using innovative 3Doodler 3D pen technology, drawing a stunning full-sized replica of the new Qashqai Black Edition to celebrate the car’s launch.

The artwork was painstakingly hand-drawn by a team of 3D pen artists, using pens supplied by 3Doodler. While Nissan produces 58 every hour at its plant in Sunderland, UK, this bespoke version took 800 man-hours to complete over a three-week period. The final sculpture is 4.4 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the same as the Nissan Qashqai Black Edition.

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 Black Edition to life with an astonishing 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.’

The 3D printing industry is predicted to be worth more than $17 billion by 2020. As a design technology, it has become increasingly common in manufacturing in recent years, including in the automotive sector.