The Chinese multinational consumer electronics and home appliance company, Haier Group has designed and developed a 3D printed, aesthetically designed, working air conditioning unit. The Haier group is based in Qingdao, Shandong and has unveiled what they call the “World’s first 3D printed air conditioner” — although there is some debate around this claim. The company showcased the new 3D printed appliance at the Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2015 in Shanghai last week.
The first production unit, and the only one created thus far, was sold for 40,000 Chinese Yuan, or approximately $6,395.
The Haier 3D printed air conditioner can be completely customized to look and function exactly the way its buyer wants it to. It seems that we have now reached the point where our choice of air conditioner is not simply a question of efficiency and practicality but also a matter of aesthetics.
“Each piece of the unit is produced on demand, seamlessly linking users’ requirements and actual manufacturing,” Haier commented. “Building the object layer by layer, 3D printing allows unprecedented user customizaton. Every user can parametrically adjust their own model, depending on his/her taste and requirements. Each model is a unique piece.”
The LCD screen casing is 3D printed into the unit; this allows users to display the temperature and working status. Future versions of the air conditioning unit will also feature 3D printed computer boards, allowing for even more customization to the end user. The company hopes that customers will customize and personalize their units, with design elements such as photos, anniversary dates, quotes, art work and other personalized print patterns.
China has been at the vanguard of 3D printing, taking the technology and using it in ways that other countries around the world have hesitated to do. This experimentation ranges from 3D printing houses and apartment buildings to other large objects such as the air conditioning unit China has certainly been seizing the attention of the international media as far as 3D printing intuitively designed products are concerned.