Digital Fabrication Techniques for Cultural Heritage: A Survey

Abstract

Digital fabrication devices exploit basic technologies in order to create tangible reproductions of 3D digital models. Although current 3D printing pipelines still suffer from several restrictions, accuracy in reproduction has reached an excellent level. The manufacturing industry has been the main domain of 3D printing applications over the last decade. Digital fabrication techniques have also been demonstrated to be effective in many other contexts, including the consumer domain. The Cultural Heritage is one of the new application contexts and is an ideal domain to test the flexibility and quality of this new technology. This survey overviews the various fabrication technologies, discussing their strengths, limitations and costs. Various successful uses of 3D printing in the Cultural Heritage are analysed, which should also be useful for other application contexts. We review works that have attempted to extend fabrication technologies in order to deal with the specific issues in the use of digital fabrication in the Cultural Heritage. Finally, we also propose areas for future research.

Metric Documentation of Cultural Heritage: Research Directions From the Italian Gamher Project

“…In particular, we experienced many interdisciplinary projects in which, thanks to the cooperation of different fields of research, incredible results have been obtained, through the technological collaboration of computer graphics, industrial engineering and experts in documentation, preservation and access of CH. Particular attention should be paid to the actual technologies in use for solid printing (digital fabrication) used for the realization of material copies, thus tangible, of three-dimensional digital virtual models (for more examples the reader is referred to Scopigno et al, 2015;Neumüller et al, 2014;Tucci et al, 2011;Balletti et al, 2016;.…”

From Documentation Images to Restauration Support Tools: A Path Following the Neptune Fountain in Bologna Design Process

“…This is due to defects in the final stage of the melting process: for that time, in fact, an experimental technique was adopted which caused lacks on the final surface of the statues (Figure 11-bottom right). Following the advice of the supervisor in charge of the restoration (ISCR), we decided to study an integration of the missing part of the trident using digital 3D printing techniques, able to physically model the missing parts and produce them in a fast and accurate manner, enabling restorers to manufacture perfectly matching elements for integration purposes (Scopigno, 2017). Our highpoly 3D model was used to support the modelling of the missing parts in a three-step process: (i) survey through digital photogrammetry; (ii) reconstruction of the missing part through surface modelling; (iii) 3D printing.…”

Creación de implantes 3D en procesos de conservación y restauración de vidrio arqueológico

“…Existen varios tipos de técnicas, como el modelado por deposición de fundente, por vinculación de materiales granulares o por fotopolimerización (Scopigno et al, 2014). La impresora utilizada es una 3D Mini Up!, realiza la reproducción por modelado por deposición de fundente.…”