Kayserburg 3D Printed Grand Piano

It’s obvious that car makers in the 60’s were looking at the birth of air travel as the way of the future. Hood ornaments and emblems were symbols of flight with angelic creatures or airplanes. Tail-lights like jet engines were positioned on top of side “wings” and the trim, made to look aerodynamic. All of this had a purpose of course; it pointed to future thinking, an association with flight.

Just as there was a lot of talk about aviation in the 1960’s, today there’s widespread thoughts around space travel and possibly even inhabiting another planet. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but cars are looking more and more ‘robotic’. Gone are the days of trying to achieve sleek lines and the advent of ‘transformers’ is upon us, alluding to the future, to self driving cars, to artificial intelligence.

Recently, Pearl River Piano Group decided to look to the future and unveiled their 3D printed grand piano. It’s a hint of future possibilities in piano-making, a showcase of manufacturing prowess. And like cars, it gives a nod to the future, to space travel and a look to the stars.

What is 3D Printing?

I reveal my age when I tell you that I learned to type on a typewriter and I remember seeing my first computer. When you typed a document, with the click of a button, printers would take a digital file and simply print ink on paper. Fast forward 50 years: a digital blueprint of a 3 dimensional object is simply sent to a 3D printer. But instead of printing on paper, this printer forms a 3-dimensional object by layering and joining filament together. It’s referred to as additive manufacturing. Unlike the printers of the past that use ink or toner, today’s 3D printers use a variety of substances to form the desired result. Airplane and car manufacturers can print metal parts and plastic is used extensively in toys and prototypes. On a massive scale, they’re building houses, layer by layer out of concrete. And one day, we might even see organic material to print and re-construct vital organs.

Ritmuller

Steinway Ad

A 3D Printed Grand Piano?

The process of 3D printing is revolutionary in that it allows for designs that are difficult to construct using traditional manufacturing methods. This year, Pearl River decided to “print” a grand piano. While the cast iron frame and wooden structure of the piano remain the same as well as the musical components, they actually printed the cabinet of the piano with carbon fiber polyester. According to Leng Tshua, Global Sales and Marketing Director of Pearl River Piano Group, the futuristic design of the piano represents an organic outcome of highly advanced CNC processes in combination with 3D printing technology. “We are continually pushing forward with technological developments and innovations for the next generation of keyboard instruments,” Leng said. The method starts by combining materials for the grand rim. In order to use these materials for the piano, they must first be made into pellets that can be utilized by the printer. The rim of the grand was printed using an EOS laser printer and the result is an almost ‘honeycomb’ looking design.. After the components are all printed, the piano undergoes cosmetic finishing and of course, all of the piano parts are installed

Kayserburg Design Elements

Like the car makers of the 60’s anticipating future flight travel, so too Pearl River has symbolically given a nod to the future by incorporating both pop culture and space travel with their 3D printed piano. Called the “Celestial Harmony Spacewalk”, this Kayserburg piano (Pearl River’s top brand name) is based on their GH188A scale. The idea was to create an image of the galaxy that was ever morphing and changing like the night sky. If you’ve ever witnessed an aurora, you’ll know the radiant colors that flow seamlessly. Symbolically, the colors of the Spacewalk piano change depending on how you look at it. It almost has that “pearl” essence quality to it.

The designers at Pearl River also wanted to create an “impossible” gravity-defying look to the piano – something futuristic. They wanted to incorporate music and pop culture into this piano as well. Who better to do that than the king of pop, Michael Jackson? He amazed the world when he first did his “moon walk” on stage. But do you remember that dance from Michael Jackson where he almost defies gravity by leaning at a 45 degree angle?
It’s this move that Pearl River symbolically used in their Spacewalk piano. They created front legs at the same 45 degree angle. Utilizing plexiglass for the remaining back leg of the grand piano, it gives the appearance that it is magically suspended. While it may not be your vision for traditional piano manufacturing, there’s no denying there’s a lot of design work required to merge manufacturing methods that combine traditional piano making with futuristic techniques. Congratulations to Pearl River on this revolutionary idea, and for their innovation to create custom cabinets!

MORE PIANO ARTICLES

How To Buy A Piano

The thought of buying a piano can be exciting but it can also be a bit intimidating or daunting, especially if you don’t know anything about them. But have no fear, because at Piano Price Point, we’ve compiled so much of the data and written articles to make your job easier. To narrow down the scope of buying a piano, you first need to decide what kind of piano you’re looking for. Ask yourself these ...

Kawai America Celebrates 60 Years With Ancient Lacquer Tradition and Pure Gold Dust

Money, apparently does grow on trees or at least in ancient times it did. It's been recorded that rare tree sap was used as a form of payment for tax because it was deemed so valuable. This sap from the tree was harvested and refined into lacquer with incredible clarity and sheen. Many thousands of years ago, it was reserved for imperial palaces, religious temples and shrines. Early examples have been dated to 7000BC. It ...

NAMM 2023 Piano Review

NAMM is always a great time to see the latest pianos. This was my first show since covid and despite being off-schedule in April (the show usually runs in January), it was nevertheless well represented. Many of the manufacturers opted out of this show because the upcoming show in 2024 is only 9 months away. These shows are a massive amount of work for presenters. When you think of how many pianos get moved and ...

Steinway Presents The Skyline Collection

The term “art case” refers to a piano cabinet that has been visually enhanced. Historically, pianos were often owned by aristocrats and royalty, their appearance mirrored the opulence of a palace or echoed the trends of the day. They often featured exotic cuts of wood or intricate carvings. But as the piano has become more mainstream, so the cabinetry, more simplified. Today, when we think of a modern piano, we perhaps think of a shiny ...

How To Remove Scuffs and Scratches from Pianos

It's inevitable that pianos will get bumped, scratched and scuffed. High polish finishes are like mirrors and when something unfortunate happens, it can be not only disappointing but daunting to know how to remedy the situation. In this 2-part series we are first going to investigate removing scuffs and hairline scratches and then in the second part, we'll look into chip and deeper scratch repairs. Disclaimer: while this presents one solution to repairs, this is ...

Why Upgrade From An Upright Piano To A Grand Piano?

I've heard this statement many times. In fact it happened when I was a young. The piano teacher states, "Your children are at a level now where it would be helpful to have them practice on a grand piano". But is there any substance to this statement? Is there validity in upgrading to a grand piano? Is there empirical data that proves the advantages of a grand piano? In short, the answer is yes. Let's ...