Case studies

3D Bar

March 2019

Industry: Design & Furniture,

Technology: LFAM,

Client: Lavazza

Case studies

3D Bar

March 2019

Industry: Design & Furniture,

Technology: LFAM,

Client: Lavazza

For the 2019 Milan Design Week and Dutch Design Week, Caracol worked with Flo and Lavazza to create the first fully robotic-printed bar installation. Using a generative design process and large-format robotic extrusion with recycled plastics, the project showcased advanced design freedom and sustainability in furniture production, turning industrial waste into striking architectural forms.

“The 3D Bar” is the first bar ever to be completely 3D printed by a robotic arm system, developed by Caracol and during the 2019 edition of Milan Design Week. At “The 3D Bar” visitors could enjoy a drink surrounded by the organic shapes of the bar.

These geometries were conceived through a generative design process and produced thanks to Caracol’s deep knowledge of additive manufacturing technologies. To print such a big installation, Caracol has used a proprietary technology that converts industrial robots into extremely fast and flexible 3D printers, able to overcome the limits of traditional printers.

By combining design and technology “The 3D Bar” witnesses how it is possible to create an unprecedented and astonishing aesthetic that is an expression of a new sustainable way of production.
Environmental sustainability is a core element in the design of “The 3D Bar”: since this robotic technology is able to directly process recycled plastics in form of pellets and shreds, every furniture piece of “The 3D Bar”, from stool to counter, is made of recycled PLA. We partnered with Flo Spa and recovered their industrial plastic waste coming from coffee cups, to use it as construction material for “The 3D Bar”.

This circular economy approach, which adds new value to the discarded plastic, combined with additive manufacturing made “The 3D Bar” a virtuous example of an innovative and sustainable crafting solution.

02 3D Bar

03 3D Bar

A second version was created for Lavazza in the Italian pavilion of the Dutch Design Week in October 2019 in Eindhoven.
Sustainability is a core element in our work: we want to revolutionize the productive system by creating innovative and more sustainable manufacturing solutions. The 3D Bar uses plastic waste coming from coffee capsules: by recycling this material we gave it a second life, with a circular economy approach