The Great Rinkak CMF x 3D Prints Experiment with Olympus Air

TOKYO, JAPAN- Dec 10, 2015- Rinkak today introduces its experimental project of CMF x 3D Prints with Olympus Air, an open platform camera that pairs the sophistication of digital interchangeable lens cameras with the intelligence of a smartphone. With its CMF (Color, Material, Finish) partner- FEEL GOOD CREATION, Rinkak aims to respond project spirit of the Olympus OPC Hack & Make Project and demonstrate how its CMF x 3D Printing service (Digital CMF Product) can accelerate user behavior research of enterprise users within limited product development budget.

Rinkak presented its design & function customization showcases of CMF x 3D Printing service (Digital CMF Product) by 3D printed parts in Acrylic and Nylon along with 8 different kinds of fine finishing designs. The previous finishing of 3D printed products was no more than adding single color. Rinkak challenges this old practice by developing further surface finishing technique of visual impression and tactile.


Given the camera grip parts for example, they are finished by metallic painting and aging process that give the impression of steampunk style; also, flocking finishing provides soft skin touch like moquette fabric, color painting with ordinary looks, and special resin creates an elastic touch. Taking the iPhone camera mount parts for another example, the team developed new finishes: a Sunny-color process that changes its color by projecting sun light (UV light), a copper plating on nylon material, and a part filmed with pattern applying TOM forming process.

Through Rinkak's planning such as plating and staining, the textures, tactile sensations and product personality all turn to be different; enterprise product developers can now exam their test cases by small lot of mass customized projects without taking the risk of huge investment in time and money.

The series of works are also displayed at AoFest, the only CMF Design Exhibition in Japan this year.

About OPC Hack & Make Project:

OPC Hack & Make Project is an Open Platform Project of Olympus with hacker’s mind-set, allowing camera users, software developers and hardware creators to customize Olympus cameras lens by providing official 3D design data and software development kit (SDK). A lens-style camera is the project core with proven record among smartphone owners looking for better image quality without having to move to a completely different device.

About CMF® (Color, Material, Finish):

Surface is made up of 3 dimensions: color, material, and finish. Taking the initials of each of those words, FEEL GOOD CREATION calls their specialty CMF. Through CMF, FEEL GOOD CREATION aims to add the value of emotional inspiration to the design. ※CMF is a registered trademark of FEEL GOOD CREATION.

About Rinkak Services:

Rinkak Services is a platform for creators who utilize new digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing. By allowing individual consumer customization of products; Rinkak offers enterprise users a great chance to gain consumer insight and better understand customer-side trends. Consumers can produce and prototype a wide range of products in micro-lots (from 1 item per order). Surface textures, coloring and product finishing can be freely changed through web or mobile applications, allowing for a fully customized product. As each part is made on demand, the costs of making production molds and keeping stock on hand are saved, allowing for ease in starting enterprise’s production creation business.