Is it bollocks?

Film Buff investigates the facts behind outlandish movie plots.

Ocean’s 8’s 3D printer tech: flawless or a total con?

q Sandra Bullock’s heist team produces a 3D printed replica of a priceless necklace to replace the real thing. Possible? Or high-carat nonsense? a FernandO hernandez, md oF emea aT XYZpRinTing From the team’s first step in producing the replica – using glasses to 3D scan the necklace – we come up against the realms of impossibility. Firstly, the glasses wouldn’t be able send data from Cartier’s subterranean vault. Secondly, getting such an accurate and detailed scan of the necklace, from just a single angle, first time around, wouldn’t be possible with today’s high-end scanners, let alone just a pair of glasses.

The materials used to make the necklace present further issues. The metal they use is zirconium. It looks very similar to the metal of the original necklace but has a very high melting point – 1,855°C to be precise. This is significantly above the capability of current SLM or DMLS (metal) 3D printers and will be for some time yet.

Having printed the metal, the Ocean’s team then move on to creating various diamonds and jewels. Crystal printing of this type doesn’t exist quite yet. At best it would be a semi-transparent resin and create an easy to spot fake. So for now, this tech is certainly not true to life.