Incus produces complex component for Yale ceremonial sceptre using 3D printing

Incus GmbH from Vienna has additively manufactured a highly complex component from 316L stainless steel for a ceremonial sceptre at the Yale University School of Engineering. The sceptre, designed by graduate Jacob Eldred, symbolises the evolution of engineering through the use of different materials and manufacturing techniques.

The sceptre combines traditional and modern elements. It begins with a hand-carved wooden base, followed by brass and copper components. The upper sections consist of increasingly complex shapes made from aluminium and stainless steel using CNC machining and lithography-based metal manufacturing (LMM) developed by Incus.

The additively manufactured component is located near the top of the sceptre and represents the future of manufacturing. It forms the transition from the trunk to the branches and is critical to the structural integrity of the object. Eldred designed this element to demonstrate the capabilities of Incus technology to create complex curves that cannot be realised using conventional methods.

The Incus component is characterised by intricate internal geometries that cannot be produced by machining or casting. Its complex curved surfaces fascinate onlookers and raise questions about the manufacturing method.

Incus’ LMM technology, a Vat photopolymerisation process, makes it possible to produce such complex geometries from metal. The Hammer Lab35 3D printer from Incus was used to produce the sophisticated component.