Toolsquare s.r.o. was founded in 1999. It designs and manufactures plastic injection molds for automotive and electronic industries, among others. Toolsquare’s Assembly Department accommodates any customer requirements: ultrasonic welding, pad and screen printing, specialized paint spraying, electronic part manufacturing, testing and final packaging.

Toolsquare purchased the Spectrum Z510 System to make the production procedure faster and more effective. It’s a great help in communication between the company and customer. The Company started Service Bereau – Toolsquare Rapid Prototyping studio which provides full color 3D printing services to everybody (designers, architects, schools, etc.).

The Spectrum Z510 System introduces HD3DP™ (high-definition 3D printing) for rapid prototyping to designers, engineers, and product developers. In addition to providing high-fidelity, 24-bit color, the system supports 600 x 540 dpi print-head resolution, large build sizes (254 mm x 356 mm x 203 mm), improved surface finish, smaller feature resolution, and low operating costs. Color capabilities allow for better representation of assemblies, enhanced texture mapping, and vibrant product coloring. The system’s software also enables labeling for improved communication of designs.

The Spectrum Z510 System is the only 3D printer capable of producing full-color, high-definition prototypes, which provide product developers with the best means available for evaluating product designs and design concepts early in the development process.

via:http://www.toolsquare.com/3dprint/index.html

This is very interesting concept designed by Qixen-p design studio, is not just another LCD or plasma tv for your wall but looks like piece of art – sculpture for your interior. It complete system of reader DVD HD/Blu-Ray, a superb screen LCD or Plasma according to your choice and a piloting by tactile remote control that you can see in the black cube. This concept has received prestigious design award – Red Dot design concept 2006. The international “red dot design award” ranks among the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world. The red dot award: design concept is organised in Singapore, in the heart of a growing design scene in Asia.

via http://www.qixen-p.com/

As we mentioned before, a design workshop has took place at MIXER festival in Zlin.

First of some workshops was about design project KONSEPTI. This ten years old project has been founded by Lucie and David Řezníčkovi. As they say – they wanted to bring modern and characterful furniture to the people of Czech republic. KONSEPTI works with many reputable companies as VITRA, CARTEL, CASSINA and others. As a supplier, for example Vitra works with many well known designers like Phillipe Starck, Frank Gehry, Ron Arad or Charles and Ray Eames.
For more info look at links above.

Second workshop has been presented by Peter Olah. This man is well known especially because of his work for ŠKODA AUTO. In his presentation, he has tried to describe his work and whole creative process of making a car in modern factory. He mentioned how many subjects are important for this work, because their work don’t ends by finishing sketches or making clay model. I have understood that work starts by idea and making some concept sketches. Concept sketches becomes to a detail design sketches of exterior and interior. In this phase is very important to stick with real proportions cause in the next phase, redrawing with modeler, could this proportions make a radical effect on the final shape. From this technical drawing is “easy” to make a clay model. In many factories, then this clay model is beeign scanned so the software modelers could make a NURBS model. But in ŠKODA, thy make a 1:1 sketch and 1:1 clay model. Then is this model scanned and remodeled so every part of car could be modified separately. Then they make a prototype with real parts from every used material. This presentation has been made on example of ŠKODA JOYSTER.

Third presentation, which I catch has been about STUDIO CONCERN by Jiří Přibyl, Martin Imrich. This young project (2000) has done a interesting works for companies like PANASONIC ČR, CYBEX or ADIDAS. I think it’s could be better to look at their site for detail of every work.

Thanks to friends on product design forums I found this site: http://www.designinsite.dk – the designer’s guide to manufacturing.

Design inSite is the Designer’s guide to manufacturing. Various manufacturing processes and materials are described as well as the products where they are used. The purpose of Design inSite is to inspire designers in their designwork to consider materials and processes which are new or unknown to them. By being aware of the new possibilities already in an early stage of the development process new and innovative products will emerge.

It is very useful for us so check it out. There are resources on manufacturing processes, materials and produts.