Steven – STEVEN VAN DE STAAK – VIDEO 3D PHOTOGRAPHY COPY

SAP Vision video – VR Hand prop production

8th May 2026 by Steven

For a company vision video of SAP Software solutions, we’ve created a hand module showing the tracking of hand movements in a physical space. The director (Arjen Schotel) wanted to have a futuristic looking hand part that could fit multiple stiff tubes.

The biggest challenge around this part was a custom fitting for the actor. As we weren’t able to do a custom 3D-scan, it had to fit perfectly on the spot. For this reason we used plain PLA to print the part. The big benefit of this material is that it starts to get soft around 60 degrees °C. The part was printed flat, heated and shaped around the hand of the user for a custom fit. Initially I used my own hand as a reference. On the set, the part was still adjustable with the use of a simple hairdrier or some warm water. However, the initial fit was perfect for the job.

See full video (Arjen Schotel website)

InMotion: Turning a LeMans LMP3 car electric

18th April 20261st April 2026 by Steven

Le Mans is one of the most demanding road races in the World. InMotion, a student team from the Eindhoven University of Technology, is working on the Revolution. An electric LMP3 race car. Key for the team is cell-level cooling technology. By optimizing this technology they are able to charge the massive high performance battery to 80% in only 4 minutes. On track, the same battery feeds the car with enough power to drive over 300km/h.

How InMotion’s technology helps sustainability

The huge challenge for electric vehicles is the charging time. InMotion is working on a new “refueling” technology that charges the batteries in minutes instead of hours. The extreme conditions of racing 24 hours at racing speed is the ultimate proving grounds for this technology. Showing that their innovations deliver performance and success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is making a huge statement to car manufacturers. This could lead to new generations of roadcars, that accelerate electric adoption.

How 3D printing helps InMotion

Turning the LMP3 car electric involves a lot of innovation. The team is developing the full powertrain from scratch. This means many custom parts are needed. Since we’re talking race cars here, these parts have strict requirements and need optimal designs. Typically, they need to be strong, heat resistant, light-weight and fit in tight spaces.

3D printing helps InMotion by enabling them to prototype parts in matter of hours. While outsourcing was expensive, and can take days, printing parts internally costs only a fraction. And testing parts in hours means optimizing and re-testing a design sometimes even the same day. When a part needs 2 or 3 itterations, this means finishing the optimal design in 2 days instead of 4 weeks.

For design validation, they can quickly print the parts in PLA. However, the team can print in materials such as PETG and even carbon reinforced PETG. That means they can actually produce end-use parts as they often meet all the strict requirements set by their engineers. There are currently many 3D printed parts in use both in and around their LMP3 car. And the number is still increasing.

Read the full story on UltiMaker.com

Author:
Steven van de Staak

Blackmagic Pocket HD OG Veluwe Test

Ultimaker – Application presentations

2002 Toyota Formula 1 car for sale

Vestingmolen Bourtange

Carhartt SHOWROOM PRESENTATION

Why sharing your success story is important

8th May 20261st April 2026 by Steven

How we work changes all the time. Whether you work in manufacturing, a medical facility, or product development. Sharing innovation and optimizations is important, and has many great benefits. At STMEDIA, these are the kind of stories we love to visualize. Here’s why.

When you think of innovation, you might think of new technologies or new products. But even the smallest change in a process can have huge impact. For example:

Breakthrough in research and development
Introduction of a new machine/technology
Introduction of new software
Opening of new work facilities
Insourcing work
Introduction of a new team, or people with new skills/responsibilities
Introduction of a new (optimized) part used in equipment
Change of process/workflow

And the list goes on. Any type of change can bring success, and can have benefits to share with others.

Many people are modest and feel their achievements are just “part of their job”. And while sharing these stories might feel like tapping yourself on the shoulder, there actually is a very beneficial practical side to it. The first thing you have to decide is if you want to share your story internally, or also externally. This depends mostly on confidentiality and business goals.

(Intranet, internal newsletters, meetings)

Acknowledgement of people involved
Awareness of significance of efforts/investments
Inspiration for other teams to innovate
Awareness of other teams to adjust collaboration
Connecting to unaware relevant teams/people
Increase workplace pride

(Website, Youtube, Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, blogs, magazines, conferences)

Acknowledgement of people involved
Increase brand awareness
Increase brand image
Attract new talent
Attract new business partners
Increase workplace pride

While there are many benefits, it’s also important to turn the question around. What happens if you don’t share your story? Will other teams miss crucial information? Will decision makers not be aware why resources for your team are essential? Sharing progress is not just “shining”, but a powerful way of informing and inspiring colleagues.

A proven story formula

While no story is the same, usually we start with the same framework. On top of these points, we can ask what else is relevant. When we have all this information, we create a plan of what should be in the main video, and what is supplementary information that can be told in an additional article, or even small additional videos.

Introduction of company, team, people
The challenge to overcome
What has been done
What was the result/effect
Way forward, end quote

Keeping it human, not just numbers

We like to share the human side of the story as well. How did the challenge affect the employees? And how did the result make employees feel? How does the customer notice these changes? Adding the human side turns a business case into a story we can relate to. Not just sharing facts to convince, but also sharing feelings to inspire.

Some examples

KRONES: Optimizing parts and on-demand spares for customers using 3D printing

Royal Netherlands Navy: On-Demand spare parts anywhere

InMotion: Turning a LeMans LMP3 car electric

Trivium – Ultimaker 3D printed applicaties

Tell your story

Questions, or curious if a success story is right for you? Let’s have a chat.

Author:
Steven van de Staak

IMES3D: Expert Support for Industry-Level 3D Printing

DJI Mic 2 1/4″ to magnetic mount

A HAPPY NEW YEAR

UltiMaker S8 Keynote

Blackmagic Pocket HD OG Veluwe Test

Trivium: Replacing metal parts using 3D printing

1st April 202613th March 2026 by Steven

At Trivium, 3D printing has become a standard if it comes to finding solutions for replacement parts. They save time, money, and are able to design parts that work better than the original. We created a video to showcase

Why the The Anode Worm is a great example

The key part in this story is an anode worm. Trivium had a clear set of requirements which Nylon CF actually met. Not only were they able to reproduce the part. They also saw the performance of the 3D printed part was even better. So instead of outsourcing and ordering expensive parts, they could now simply print the optimized design – on demand.

Telling a personal story

We filmed this video as a personal story of the two colleagues from Trivum. On the one part, they share facts, a situation, a solution and the result. But we believe the human part is just as important. Even when the content is B2B. This is why it was great to showcase their enthusiasm and the energy they got from 3D printing and this project in particular.

In the end, the video was published on UltiMaker’s Youtube, with small social media posts for promotion, and a written article with more information on their website.

Read the story on UltiMaker.com

Author:
Steven van de Staak

Ultimaker 2+ Connect promo

How 3D Printing Is Changing the Game in Video Production

2 Wielercentrum Ede

New UltiMaker Factor 4 Material Partner Event

Carhartt SHOWROOM PRESENTATION

DJI Mic 2 1/4″ to magnetic mount

10th February 20265th February 2026 by Steven

DJI’s Mic 2 is an incredible kit for video production. The tiny wireless microphone can record clean 32-bit float audio stand-alone, or send audio directly to a camera or phone. It’s designed to be worn on clothing. It’s so good that it can even be used as a traditional microphone—though you’ll need to mount it on a tripod or arm.

Custom 3D printed mount

While mounts are available, I wanted to design a part specifically for testing. Most existing designs use a clip to snap the microphone into place, which feels like a missed opportunity—especially since the microphone already comes with a magnet. That’s why I designed a custom part.

The block I designed in roughly 15 minutes includes a cavity for the microphone’s magnet, allowing it to snap neatly into place. To connect the block to the standard 1/4″ thread used on tripods or magic arms, I used a brass insert. After printing the block, you simply place the insert over a slightly undersized hole and gently press it in using a hot soldering iron. The heated brass insert melts its way into position. Once everything cools down, the result is a solid, permanently bonded part.

Final design and benefits

The final mount costs less than €0.50 to produce and prints in roughly half an hour. More importantly, it allows me to place mounts exactly where I want to use the DJI Mic 2 on a regular, temporary basis. In my studio, I can hang two slightly above my desk for a podcast setup. They can also be mounted on tabletop tripods for on-the-move podcasting.

In the end, this part saved me a full day of delivery time and roughly €40. On top of that, it’s actually more practical than the commercially available options.