Hung-Chih Peng, a Taiwanese artist, is famous for creations such as Two Hundred Years, RMB 15 Million and others. His latest work, The Deluge – Noah‘s Ark, incorporated 3D printing into the process and Tiertime’s UP Plus 2 was the solution. At eight meters long, it was an additive manufacturing project of epic proportions.
Based on the Biblical tale of Noah’s effort to save earth’s population from the wrath of God’s fury, Peng considers it a metaphor for the continuing struggle between Mother Nature and industrialized civilization. It questions whether excessive human exploration and expansion without limitation leads to negative planetary consequences. Peng‘s Ark is deformed to express a warning.
“When Noah‘s Ark, built for rescuing people, becomes ruins, humans are in the same position as other living creatures. We lose the strength of being number one in the animal kingdom”, said Peng.
Requiring approximately 100,000 separate parts, producing the model was a serious challenge due to size and complexity. It was scheduled for display at the 2014 Taipei Biennial Exposition, and Peng concluded traditional sculpture and craftsmanship would require too much time. He turned to 3D printing to increase speed and realize his vision. After testing several competing printers, Peng selected the UP Plus 2 for its smooth operation, print quality, precision, and reliability.
“The failure rate of some 3D printers is 50% or more, which would have made completion impossible. Some friends recommended the UP Plus 2. Its success rate exceed 70-80%, and its print platform can be automatically calibrated, saving time between prints,” said Peng. “Construction involves many small blocks. A certain shrinkage ratio is expected between blocks, so some correction is required. The UP Plus 2 provides functions allowing us to compensate. UP’s software is very easy to operate, essentially plug n’ play, so its convenience and dependability were crucial for meeting the deadline.”
After its exhibition at the Biennial Exposition, the Ark’s next home is set to be the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
