Case Study: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences achieves a life-size, scientifically accurate Lier mammoth replica with Materialise 3D printing

3D Printing Meets Prehistoric Preservation Materialise Prints Life-Size Mammoth Skeleton

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) in Brussels needed a life‑size replica of the rare Lier mammoth skeleton for the reopening of Lier’s City Museum, but the original 19th‑century bones could not be moved or disturbed. Materialise was engaged to use 3D printing — leveraging its Mammoth stereolithography printers and software tools like Materialise Magics and 3‑matic — to reproduce all 320 individual bones without invasive work on the originals.

Materialise scanned and digitally reconstructed the skeleton, restored missing parts, integrated a custom internal carbon frame (developed with RapidFit) and laser‑sintered connectors, then printed and finished the replica in just over 52 days (a seven‑week production timeframe). The result was an anatomically accurate, life‑size mammoth that broke down into six transportable sections for reassembly in Lier, preserved the originals, and in fact produced a scientifically improved specimen thanks to digital restoration by Materialise.

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Gertjan Brienen

Project Manager