06-16-2014: will.i.am and 3D Systems launched Ekocycle 3D printer
It (supposed to) run on recycled Coca-Cola bottles.
On June 16, 2014, 3D Systems and will.i.am - their recently appointed Chief Creative Officer, have announced a collaboration with Coca Cola, and the launch of a new 3D printer - the EKOCYCLE Cube. The project was based on the concept of using recycled plastic in 3D printing.
EKOCYCLE was to use 3D printing from a specially prepared filament containing rPET – derived from used Coca-Cola bottles. Each cartridge with filament was to contain 3 ground bottles, which translated into approx. 25% of its composition.
If we were to talk about the 3D printing industry in terms of eras of art and culture, then the years 2013-2015 would be baroque. Consumer 3D printers were at the peak of their popularity, making headlines in mainstream media. They were featured in movies and pop music videos (like „Double Bubble Trouble” by M.I.A.). Netflix made the famous “Print the Legend”. And will.i.am got a job at 3D Systems… Those were truly extraordinary times, dripping with gold and glitz.
The EKOCYCLE project was also a kind of culmination of 3D Systems’ marketing efforts under Avi Reichental reign. In January 2014, we saw the launch of the new Cubify series 3D printers at CES in Las Vegas, the launch of ChefJet - the first commercial sugar 3D printer, and the hiring of Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am as CCO. Also, the cooperation with Coca-Cola was a huge marketing hit. Especially when we combine it with the ecological aspect, which in 2014 was still a curiosity that few people really paid attention to. We can therefore say that this project was really ahead of its time…
The problem was that from a functional point of view it made no sense.
The second generation of Cubify 3D printers from 2014 were never very good and suffered from similar technological issues as MakerBot 5th generation released at the same time. Both series made very big promises to the market and neither one delivered. The spectacular premieres of the 3D Systems and MakerBot / Stratasys 3D printers at CES 2014 were a kind of beginning of the end of the boom in consumer 3D printers. Although it lasted for another good 2-3 years, the losses that were incurred at that time were never recovered.
As for the EKOCYCLE 3D printer, it had build area of 6 x 6 x 6 inches, featured auto-leveling, and like the Cube 3 printer, had a colored touchscreen user interface built in. It was priced at $1,199, and came with 25 music, tech, and fashion minded designs for 3D printable accessories, which have been personally curated by will.i.am.
As for will.i.am he simply vanished both from 3D Systems and 3D printing. Like Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects - „and, like that, he's gone”.
Source: www.3dprint.com