[3D Printing News] 3D Printing of Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton

[3D Printing News] 3D Printing of Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton

Our story begins 66 million years ago, when a top predator from the Cretaceous period tragically died.
Its remains were discovered by Naturalis in Montana millions of years later.
Although the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton is very well preserved, some parts are still missing - including the left leg.
This is not uncommon, because when a dinosaur dies, many animals begin to clear away its body, and some parts disappear over time.
To help complete the missing parts of the 13-meter-long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, Naturalis switched to using 3D printing for some elements.
Thanks to the incredible accuracy and flexibility of the Ultimaker 2+ , the massive skeleton produced was more detailed than initially anticipated.
In fact, because they are so realistic, the printed parts are painted a slightly different color from the bones to ensure that the bones are not confused with the 3D printed parts.


New modeling methods

More traditional methods for completing parts of a skeleton include using polystyrene foam to create the skeleton, which requires a very skilled craftsman to achieve a lifelike result, or using other nearly identical fossils - you can imagine how difficult it is to find a bone that fits the exact size!


T. Rex bone scan, 3D printed bone

Regarding this bone, Valentin Vanhecke, a Dutch scanning guide from 4Visualization, created a 3D scan of the right leg for the museum and used Ultimaker to print a mirrored version: a perfect restoration that matches the left leg. What a clever idea!
The bones are currently being drawn, and they will be further integrated with the skeleton over the next few months. Without a doubt, the results are stunning!



How to print a Tyrannosaurus Rex

If you're reading this blog, it's sure to ignite your inner savage and make you want to own your own Tyrannosaurus Rex. You're very lucky! We will be hosting a guided tour on "How to Print a Tyrannosaurus Rex" in the near future.


Image credit: Naturalis Biodiversity Centre

If you haven't already written it in your journal, we highly recommend visiting the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in September 2016 to see these amazing, enormous creatures bringing life to the world!

Original link: https://ultimaker.com/en/stories/20312-3d-printing-a-tyrannosaurus-rex-skeleton