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3D Printing Courses in India

3D Printing Courses in India
3D Printing Courses in India

3D printing is by far one of the most interesting and happening technological advancements that mankind has seen in almost a decade. 3D printing has proved to be a booming industry in the west and in most developed countries. But in India and other developing countries, 3D printing technology adoption is a bit slow. Given the 1.2 billion population, 3D printing shall provided Indians with lot of opportunities and also improve Indian economy.

It is an inevitable truth that there is a lot of scope for this technology in India and also a lot of opportunities to teach this science to the people. The sole problem in the entire thing is the capital. To teach 3D printing technology to the masses require huge capital and as India is a developing country, neither government of India nor individuals have that kind of funds to train individuals on 3D printing technology.

The key essential component for learning this technology is a 3D printer. No matter what the statistics say, buying a 3D printer is still an expensive affair for a common Indian man (keeping in mind the average Indian income). Unlike in United States of America and many other developed countries, where kids have access to 3D printers in school, colleges and universities in India, only few colleges have 3D printers. Inspite of all these odds, there are few companies that are offering 3D printing courses in India. Below is the list of those companies.

Tutor3D

The website was started as a joint venture between two companies Kidopia Venture and df3d. The main aim of the website is to bridge the gap between learning and resources that are essential for learning the basics of 3D printing. It also aims to bring 3D printing into the educational sector mainly for children between the age groups of 8-16 years. Currently the representatives of the venture are trying to convince some of the students of the various schools and other educational institutions of the country to participate in the 3D printing classes offered by Tutor3D.

The venture offers courses in two levels. Each course is of three months. These are the services that are being provided by tutor3d.com:

  • Learn modeling tools for 3D printing
  • Learn design processes
  • Incorporate 3D printing into an existing project
  • Learn basic sciences with models
  • Explore mathematical modeling
  • Define a custom curriculum for individual school / colleges.

One of the co- founders of the venture Deepak Raj said, “The greatest designers are the ones who explore design at an young age. There is no better skill than the one that provides child with the ability to understand the technologies that will pave the way towards the future.” Another co-founder of Tutor 3D Samarth Rao said, “Children when exposed to such tools and training at an young age can get more avenues to utilize those skills in the course of their career path and also explore their infinite creativity”.

The reason behind this venture is quite clear from the talks of one of the co- founders Samarth Rao. He said, “The very concept of being able to create a physical model out of any creative thought appeared interesting. Moreover, the industry is opening out in a big way worldwide and the future of 3D printing seems very attractive, not just in terms of the industries that would have applications out of 3D printing, but also with respect to the jobs and other opportunities that it would create.”

MDS 3D:

The organization aims to create awareness among people as well as organizations in India regarding this technology and the perks that come along with it. The company keeps a track of the recent developments in the industry and is very persistent in incorporating those new ideas into their own working so that they can help their clients in the best possible way.

The company is equally passionate about knowledge generation and increase the understanding that people have regarding this new technology. The company conducts many trainings and seminars which last for one or two days. These seminars are conducted for giving the people a general idea of what 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing actually is. Apart from this the company also holds three days seminars which are intensive courses or the master level courses for 3D printing.

Think3D.in

The company claims to be the largest 3D printing platform in India. There are reasons for it to feel so, the company has signed a partnership with the big shots of the 3D printing industry like the iMakr company. With the collaborative efforts from iMakr think3D is supporting 3D printing entrepreneurship in India. Think3D also functions like the incubator for iMakr in India.

The company works on four levels.

  • News Portal – Covering all the latest 3D printing news
  • Online Store – For selling 3D printers, filaments and spare parts
  • Print of Demand – For customers who want a 3D prototype of their designs
  • Training Platform – To provide training on 3D printing technologies.

The company on a very frequent basis organizes seminars and training workshops in India.

BotzLab.com

This is an online company that on request goes to various schools and colleges with a 3D printer to demonstrate the actual working of a 3D printer. The company educates interested students in batches. The company claims to offer the best live workshop on 3D printing for “future technologists”.

As Indians emphasis a lot on education right from childhood and every year lakhs and lakhs of engineers are being churned out of all the engineering colleges that mushroom all around India, the company is hopeful that 3D printing as a specialization will soon be offered in the engineering syllabus. In the past we have seen that in Australia a two year degree program is being offered by four universities QUT in Queensland, the University of Wollongong in NSW, the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands and the University of Würzburg in Germany. In the near future we are hopeful that in India too there would be full- time courses on 3D printing in the various universities and colleges.

Sources: 

http://www.inside3dp.com/tutor3d-new-initiative-introduce-3d-printing-students-india/

http://www.mds3d.in/about/

https://www.think3d.in/about-think3d-india/

http://botzlab.com/portfolio/workshops/

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3D Printing Jobs in India

3D Printing Jobs In India
3D Printing Jobs In India

Developed countries like US, Germany and various other European countries have contributed massively to the 3D printing ecosystem and the industry permeated into the society. But in developing countries like India, the technology stood at the fringes of society for a long time mainly due to the cost of 3D printers and due to lack of proper ecosystem. If we look at the recent developments, it becomes very clear that India is catching up with the big guys of 3D printing business. This opens up lots of opportunities to youngsters. There will be lots of 3D printing jobs in the market and people with right skill sets will have a good career growth.

Indian IT companies such as Infosys, Cognizant and Mindtree are few of the companies that have recently announced that they are working towards benefiting from the 3D printing technology. In an interview with the Hindu Business Line, R Chanrasekaran, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Cognizant India said, “Recently, I was reading about how 3D printers were being taken to Sudan for creating artificial limbs for war-affected people. For IT service companies, the possibilities are huge, especially in the areas of engineering and digitization, which are key ingredients in the creation of a 3D component.”

In this article we will discuss about various kinds of 3D printing jobs that will very soon be created in the 3D printing market in India.

3D Design Jobs:

3D printing depends totally on designers who have the talent to transform an idea into the 3D model which can then be 3D printed. Since 3D printing in India is in the growing phase there is a possibility of more job opportunities for 3D designers at any 3D printing firm. Apart from being a part of a company, designers can go in for freelancing as well as become job providers by becoming entrepreneurs. There are various designing softwares catering to specific design needs. These include Maya, Solidworks, SketchUp, Catia, ProE and so on. Mastering any of these softwares is a must for churning out good quality designs.

And in order to increase the chances of being hired by a 3D printing company it is necessary to obtain hands on experience in this technology. In other countries like US and Germany this technology has evolved to a great extent. Erol Gunduz, a professor at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies says, “For instance, recent graduate student designers and researchers who are familiar with 3D printing methods have the benefit of knowing how to use the technology within their design process and in supporting its usage within company initiatives. This gives them a significant advantage when looking for career opportunities within creative fields.

3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeling:

The main work in 3D printing is involved during the CAD modeling phase. The people who are experts in CAD software have the skill and the knowledge to convert an idea into a digitalized blueprint. This is the basic requirement for any 3D printer to be able to print a 3D printed object. As there are many companies in India that are thinking of incorporating 3D printing into their process there will be an increased demand in CAD modelers. In the other countries where 3D printing has flourished a lot there is an increased demand for CAD 3D modelers.

Research and Development

As we discussed in the earlier two paragraphs that very soon the Indian market will be offering jobs for product designers and CAD modelers, the market will also open up for far sighted and efficient research and development professionals. Companies would need professionals with good understanding of utilization of 3D printing for consumer products at a comparatively low price. With the help of the R&D professionals new areas of application of this technology can be unveiled.

India has just entered the 3D printing market and if a ground breaking application is to be disclosed then very soon we might see companies hiring such professionals for this uptight task!

Biological and Scientific Modeling

The contribution of 3D printing in the field of healthcare is unmatched. It has become a life saving technology. So there will be a need for more engineers, designers and modelers with biomedical or scientific background. In India 3D printing is yet to be used in the healthcare and scientific sector but very soon this will happen. As there are a lot of Indians who need prosthetics, organ replacements and so on, researchers as well as engineers in biological and scientific modeling area will get lot of job opportunities in India.

Construction Modeling:

The current construction industry in India uses 2D planning solutions like AutoCAD but as in other countries like China and US, India will very soon incorporate 3D printing into the planning as well as constructing phase. This shift from 2D to 3D will generate a job market for 3D modelers. These 3D models would give a better insight to the workers as well as the officials of the construction industry.

Education:

There are many organizations that are trying to spread this technology to the various schools, colleges and universities. So there is a need for people who have sufficient knowledge to teach others the basic concepts as well as the technicalities associated with 3D printing technology. In India, 3D printing courses at a huge scale are yet to be introduced in various colleges and universities unlike in USA where NYU-SCPS has recently launched a Certificate course in 3D Printing Rapid Prototyping.

 Lawyers and Legal Professionals:

Since the maximum amount of piracy and copyrights issues arises in creative fields, 3D printing also faces such problems. In such situations professionals with adequate knowledge of law are needed, especially people who are well versed in the field of Intellectual Property Rights (IP).

In India every year there are thousands of law graduates who pass out of law colleges and look for jobs in courts and other corporate sectors. People with knowledge of IP ownership, scope of rights, licensing, fair use, international rights and other forms of IP protection can try in 3D printing companies.

Business Opportunities:

There are many people who do not like to work under anyone and are more interested in starting their own business. 3D printing offers ample opportunities to such individuals. A person can buy a 3D printer. If the person has some basic knowledge about 3D printing then he can start straight away start the company through the various websites or through the e-commerce market place.

Operation and administrative positions:

A 3D printing company cannot run alone on 3D designers and modelers there is a need for people who can take care of the various operations and administrative staff, analysts, finances, sales professionals as well as the retail employees.

These job opportunities have already filled up the jobs markets in the United States of America and other European countries as the 3D printing technology in these countries has evolved to a very advanced stage unlike India where this technology is still in the adolescent stage. In future, there are good opportunities for people with understanding of 3D printing technology to fill in the operations and administrative positions.

Hopefully in India too 3D printing will be successful in transforming lives!

Sources: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5125-3d-printing-jobs.html

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Low cost 3D Printers in India

Affordable 3D printers in India
Affordable 3D printers in India

3D printers are available in the market since the 1980’s but only after 2010, these printers became affordable. This commercialization of technology led to a huge rise in the demand and utilization of 3D printers. The technology is expanding each passing day and is becoming very popular among DIYers, researchers as well as hobby engineers.

3DP market in India is still in its infancy but there are many individuals and organizations that are taking keen interest in spreading the technology among the people as well as providing the people with low end 3D printers. In this article we shall look into various affordable 3D printers available in the market.

Flashforge Finder 3D Printer:

Among various 3D printers we, at think3D dealt with, we felt FlashForge Finder 3D printer is the best entry level 3D printer. Flashforge Finder 3D printer is very silent , simple and safer to use . So, you can actually place it on your workstation and do your work without any disturbance. 3.5 inch full color touchscreen with intuitive icons and slide-in build plate makes it very easy to operate the printer. Assisted platform calibration system makes platform leveling much easier and more precise and filament run out detection ensures your designs come out intact every time.

FlashForge Finder costs just INR 49,900 at think3D. So, it is definitely highly affordable when compared to various other 3D printers in the market. You can find more information about the product here

Da Vinci series 3D printers

DaVinci is another favourite of ours at think3D. Da Vinci started from nowhere and quickly took 3D printing market by storm. With featured packed 3D printers at very low prices and launch of 3D printers at frequent intervals, they have built a good market share and loyal fanbase in no time. The only drawback with Da Vinci 3D printers had been its proprietary filament usage policy i.e. Da Vinci 3D printers accept only Da Vinci filaments, not other filaments. But recently they launched a 3D printer that accepts open filaments too. In total, Da Vinci has launched 7 models of 3D printers namely da Vinci 1.0, da Vinci 2.0 Duo, da Vinci 1.0 AiO, Nobel 1.0, da Vinci 1.1 Plus, da Vinci Jr. 1.0, da Vinci 1.0 Pro. Out of these seven models, Nobel 1.0 is SLA based 3D printer, da Vinci 1.0 Pro is open filament 3D printer, da Vinci Jr. 1.0 is meant for kids. You can purchase Da Vinci 3D printers here.

UP! Mini

UP! Mini is another favorite 3D printer for think3D folks. Though the printer has limited features, it is the reliability of the printer that made us big fans of this printer. This printer “JUST PRINTS” whatever design is given to it and whichever environment it is placed in. Also, the new UP Mini Desktop 3D Printer is simple and affordable. This printer is assembled and ready to go out of the box and you will be printing models in 15 minutes. No need to spend weeks together tinkering with the printer to get good quality 3D prototypes. UP Mini is a compact and efficient printer. It is a single extruder 3D printer and and can print objects up to 4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inches. The printer also prints quite slow with speeds ranging from 3-30mm per second”. To know more about UP! Mini and purchase the same, click here.

FlashForge Dreamer Dual Exturder

FlashForge Dreamer Dual Extruder is one of our best selling 3D printers at think3D. This is a feature packed 3D printer at a very affordable 3D printer. This made the printer an instant hit among consumers. Also, it is one of the early 3D printers to have touchscreen facility. The company worked really hard to make it very easy to operate a 3D printer and that made this printer an outstanding one. Dreamer is a mid-sized FDM 3D printer capable of printing in multiple materials with high resolution. The printer is very consistent and can work for very long hours even in the absence of the personnel to monitor the 3D printer. For various other 3D printers, we can’t really assert that though manufactures proclaim that. Ease of use, affordability, consistency, reliability and consumer activism are its core differentiating points. To know more about FlashForge Dreamer Dual Extruder and purchase the same click here

CreatBot Series 3D Printers

J Group Robotics is another 3D printer manufacturer in India. The company has developed 3D printers to match the exacting requirements of medical market, jewelry market, engineering and health care market. J Group Robotics has built a 3D printer called Vector PLA 3D. Vector PLA 3D is known for quality and precision. Within the world of 3D printers, Dimension 3 LE is known for its avant-grade design and advanced technology.

Vector PLA 3D would read the design from of .STL / .OBJ / .DAE / .AMF file using Printware software and would lay down successive layers of the material to build the model from a series of cross sections. These layers, which correspond to the virtual cross sections from the CAD model, are joined together or automatically fused to create the final shape. The primary advantage of this technique is its ability to create almost any shape or geometric feature.

Ultimaker 2, Ultimaker Extended

Ultimaker family 3D printers are the fastest moving 3D printers at think3D, though they are relatively expensive when compared to various other 3D printers. That is primarily because of the ratings and reviews Ultimaker series 3D printers received by various rating agencies and 3D printing experts. Ultimaker series 3D printers are rated the best 3D printers in the market. The printer is created to be as accessible as possible. Easy to use without extensive technical know-how but still with enough depth to keep any avid printer interested, the Ultimaker 2 is a truly revolutionary machine. The printer has a build volume of 223 x 223 x 205 mm and can print at layer resolution of upto 20 micron. It has a nozzle temperature of 180 degrees to 260 degrees centigrade. The printer supports various kinds of filaments like PLA, ABS, U-PET and so on. Find out more information about Ultimaker 2 and purchase it by clicking here.

Various other 3D printers

We have compiled a list of few comparable 3D printers which are available at the same price as Indian 3D printers.

(a) Makerbot Replicator 2X  ( know more )

(b) UP! Plus 2 ( know more )

(c) Cubify Series 3D Printers ( know more )

Sources: 

http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/01/30/3d-printer-manufacturer-reduces-3d-printing-costs-india/

http://www.brahma3.com/

http://www.3dprinter.in/sharkbot-indias-cheapest-3d-printer/

http://yourstory.com/2014/02/divide-by-zero-accucraft-3d-printer/

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3D Paste Printer by ORD Solutions

Making food the Jetsons way has been a dream that mankind has been dreaming for quite some time. Films like Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs have triggered the imagination of innovators and have created a market for food producing printers.

Catering to the demand for food producing printers, a Canadian company named ORD Solutions had recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a paste printing machine named MH3000 R2 3D printer which was later renamed as the RoVa Paste. The new printer has all the features of the original RoVa 3D printer except that it prints food rather than objects.

This machine is fully assembled and is the very first of its genre. The price of the machine is $1000 CAD. The printer is capable of printing both edible and inedible materials without using heat. On the other hand there is an option of printing heated pastes with additional features such as built platforms both hot and cold and filament extruders.

The specifications of the printer are mentioned below:

  • Build Envelope: 11.18″ x 11.88″ x 7.55″
  • Printer Footprint (LxWxH): 15″ x 10.75″ x 17.5″Z
  • Print Resolution: 50um
  • Max number of paste extruders: 2
  • Max number of filament extruders: 2
  • Print materials (Paste extruders): Silicone, Plaster, Drywall compound, Nutella, Peanut Butter, icing, etc
  • Print Materials (Filament extruders): PLA/ABS/Nylon/PC/POM/PET/Carbon/Wood and More

The campaign started on 10th September and will run till 7th October. The company is expecting to raise an amount of $25, 000 CAD. The company is also providing a lot of perks to backers such as the first backer can buy the machine for $899 CAD after which the price escalates to $999. The products are expected to be shipped to the backers by March, 2015.

Other articles on food printing at think3D: 3D Food Printers

Source & Image Credit: 3D Printing Industry

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Phantom Dual Extruder 3D Printer Review

A couple of years back if someone said that there is a printer that has dual extruders then it would be the biggest thing in the 3DP market. But not anymore, dual extruders are a very common thing. Most of the companies have developed printers that have dual extruders. So when a company launches a new 3D printer with dual extruders its nothing unusual.

A company named Phantom Corporation has come up a 3D printer Phantom that has dual extruders but both the extruders work independently and so the time involved printing an object is reduced.  The founder of the company Eimantas Tomkevicius said that the printer his company has manufactured works faster than any other machine available in the market. He also said, “In April 2013 I went to San Francisco for 3 months with the idea to create a video game. I went to one hacker space called Noisebridge. I was really surprised at the time, as the place was amazing. There I had an opportunity to try the 3D printers myself. I have tried them all in the first week. I noticed they were really slow and too complicated for those who were not engineers. So, I decided to build a new faster 3D printer”

The Phantom 3D printer is the very first machine that has independent working dual extruders on the X and Y axis. The machine is expected to be working at a speed of 200- 250 mm/sec having a resolution of 100 and 300 microns. Tomkevicius said that the printer works best when it has to print larger objects or multiple objects as both the extruders work on their specified areas. But while printing small objects the advantage of having independent dual extruders cannot be exploited to the maximum.

If the printer works as per its claims then this would certainly change the 3D printing industry and help 3D printers enter into the manufacturing industry. We believe such printers will be manufactured in India in no time.

Source: http://3dprint.com/13561/phantom-dual-extruder-3d/

Image Credit: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/two-individually-working-extruders-3d-printer

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Top 7 remarkable uses of 3D printing

7 remarkable uses of 3D printer
7 remarkable uses of 3D printer

Additive Manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing is a process of transforming 2D images into 3D objects. The process though simple has the ability to change the world around us. If a biography is written on the journey of 3D printing, it will be very adventurous one. From a technology that was used basically for prototyping to a technology that went mainstream, the transformation is humungous. Although the technology has its limitations, most analysts feel that it’s only a matter of time before those limitations will be conquered. This technology has the potential to change the future. In this article we have rounded up seven remarkable objects that have been printed with the help of this technology. These objects also give us a glimpse as to how our future might look like!

Houses:

The biggest problem with the constant increase in population is scarcity of housing. The resources needed to make a house are limited whereas the demand is unending. This is where 3D printing comes handy. Architects are taking help of 3D printers to make houses. Some of the architects like the Dutch architects are using expensive plastic to achieve this goal while on the other hand a company named WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co. is using recycled waste to print these houses.

The Dutch architects used the largest 3D printer on planet named Kamermaker to 3D print a house. The house has been attracting tourists from all over the world including US President Barack Obama. The house is located in Amsterdam and is more popularly known as Canal home.

The Chinese company does not have the luxury of owning a Kamermaker. So it is printing individual pieces and then assembling them. The company claims to have build 10 such houses and the price is somewhere around $5,000.

Apart from these two there are many people and companies that are using 3D printing to make houses or as some call it- castles!

Jet Parts:

Aviation companies spend million and trillions of dollars on repair and maintenance of an aircraft and most of the money is spent on the spare parts. Recently the news came in that a British company named BAE Systems has successfully flown a Tornado Fighter Jet which had the cockpit radio cover and the other components in the landing gear printed out of a 3D printer. Mike Murray of BAE Systems said, “You are suddenly not fixed in terms of where you have to manufacture these things. You can manufacture the products at whatever base you want, providing you can get a machine there.”

Apart from the Britishers, Americans and other European countries also ventured out to explore the possibilities that exist with 3D printing of spare parts in aviation as well as the automobile industry.

 Bio- Printing of Tissues, Skin and Bones:

3D printed human tissue is as of now being used for research only. Earlier doctors had to experiment with medicines for a new disease or illness on humans but now these tests are carried out on 3D printed tissues. Depending on the outcome of the tests, future course of action can be determined. Organs have also been printed but the size is quite small and that too was done on a Petri dish. The 3D printing of organs is something that cannot be expected sometime soon.

The involvement of 3D printed objects in the healthcare sector is very high. 3D printed spinal implants, 3D printed hearts as well as 3D printed skin all have the potential to change the way we look at the functioning of the healthcare sector and also change the limitations of this industry to a great degree.

Prosthetics:

3D printing has revolutionized the world of prosthetics. Earlier people who wanted prosthetics had to adjust their bodies according to the standardized prosthetic part like chip off the extra bone so that the prosthetic fits better. But now, patients can get a customized prosthetic that fits their needs and requirements. These prosthetics have changed the life of many people.

Names of Hannah and Amanda have spread in the world of 3D printing over- night. Both of them had a health condition because of which they could not get up from their beds. 4 year old Hannah had a medical condition known as the Arthrogryposis because of which she could not lift her arm on her own. On the other hand, Amanda was paralyzed from waist down after a fall from a building. Thanks to 3D printing, Hannah got a Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX for short) and Amanda got a Ekso bionics which is a hybrid robotic exoskeleton and now both can lead a normal life!

Clothing and Jewelry:

Fashion industry is the most dynamic of all industries. Fashion trends change on a frequent basis. What’s in fashion today, the same thing becomes old fashioned tomorrow. With 3D printing, designers can make clothes that are impossible to create in the traditional way. These clothes are not only made easily and quickly but also are highly customized. 3D printing has also changed the world of accessories. The big shots of the 3DP industry like Shapeways are actively contributing to this sector. Recently Dita Von Teese, a dancer modeled a dress which was designed by Michael Schmidt and Frances Bitoni and 3D printed by Shapeways. A few designs which were made using this technology were showcased in the NY fashion week as well.

Chocolates and Other Foods:

3D printed food is creating a lot of buzz in this sector recently. Products like ChefJet 3D printer, Candy 3D printer and the Foodini have increased the hype of being able to 3D print food. These printers have been successful in making food from liquid or powdered materials. These printers are becoming a must have appliance in the kitchen.

Whereas there are other food printers that have been made for specific people and purposes. For example a food printer made by a German company named Biozoon Food Innovations is printing food that will dissolve in the mouth very easily.

Another printer which is being developed for fighting world hunger is being compiled by a company named Systems & Materials Research Corp. The printer prints Meal Cubes which are made from nutritionally balanced powders.

Solar Panels:

As humans are becoming more aware about the environment, they are trying out every possible way to conserve the natural resources. Generation of electricity is quite a mammoth task and most of the natural resources from which electricity can be generated are getting exhausted. So now the British scientists at the National Physical Laboratory have come up with a brand new set of solar panels which work efficiently even when the sky is cloudy. The molecules that make this solar panel can be dissolved in water and can be 3D printed in the desired color, shape and size!

All the 7 objects covered in this article are objects that have shaken their respective industries to the core and these objects also throw some light on how the future will look like. The impact of 3D printers on our lives is inevitable!

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XFab 3D Laser Printer Review

The current market is over flowing with 3D printers. Every fortnight there is a new printer on the block with new promises and new features and 3D fairs, conferences and Kickstarter have become the ideal place to start for any manufacturer. This year in the CES International, there has been an outburst in the number of desktops that were launched and most of them are using the SLA technology. The FFF technology which was the earlier the hot favorite of manufacturers has proved to be of no great profit and most manufacturers have already moved to the SLA technique.

In this article we shall be looking at one such SLA 3D printer manufactured by an Italian company named DWS Systems. The company develops technological solutions for prototyping and high speed production to reduce the time required to manufacture industrial products such as jewelry, fashion, dental and various other designs.

The company introduced a new 3D printer named XFab Laser 3D printer at CES International 2014. The company had also presented this 3D printer in the Maker Faire Rome, 2013. The most unique feature about this printer is that unlike most of the printers that are currently floating in the market, this printer is aiming towards expanding the material portfolio. It is all set to break the notion of 3D printers being able to print materials that are hard by being able to print on rubber as well!

The printer has been manufactured with a lot of precautions and the assembling of the parts has been of high concern for the manufacturers. Maurizio Costabeber, founder of DWS System said, “Assembling laser equipment is our own key feature: This is the most delicate component in our machines. We do that strictly inside our labs to prevent someone from stealing our know-how”.

The specifications of the printer are mentioned below:

  • Printing method: Laser Stereolithography
  • Print area: 180 x 180mm
  • Laser source: Solid State BlueEdge BE- 1300X
  • Slice Thickness: 10- 100 microns
  • Minimum feature size: 80 microns
  • Scanning method: Galvanometer
  • Software: XFAB Controller, Nauta XFAB Edition
  • Input file format: .STL, .SLC
  • Machine Size: 420 x 638 x 590 mm
  • Operating Temperature and Humidity: 22 °C – 25°C/ 60%
  • Power Supply: AC 230/ 115V/ 50-60 Hz
  • Materials: Acrylate resin, ABS, polypropylene, rigid opaque, transparent, rubber and ceramic

The printer is true sense is quite intelligent as it uses an intelligent cartridge system which makes the changing of cartridge a simple task. In the past there have been quite a few complaints about printers that leak and have high tray consumption charges, but with this printer there will be no leakages and no tray consumption costs. The price of these cartridges is somewhere between $200- $400.

The product is expected to hit the market in the spring of this year and the price is expected to be somewhere around $5000. For all those people who feel that the price is too much the company has also planned to introduce a mini version of the XFab 3D printer and the price is expected be to $2500.

 Source: http://www.makerfairerome.eu/en/xfab-3d-printer-call4makers/

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How 3D printing helps marketers?

3D printing in marketing
3D printing in marketing

While 3D printing is at a very early stage of adoption, it holds lot of promise for marketers. 3D printing removes barriers between online world and offline world thereby helping marketers come up with great holistic campaigns for promotion of the products. This is all possible because of the ability to print customized individual products through 3D printing.

While this customization era is on the starting phase, the technology is all geared up for entering into the mainstream. There are many outlets that are housing these 3D printers and customers can directly go to these outlets and buy any personalized item that they wish to buy. If the customer has no money constraints then he can buy a 3D printer and a 3D scanner and DIY it himself. Such shops are mushrooming all over the world. These shops not only promote this technology but also benefit the marketers.

Apart from such outlets the big shot e-tailers such as Amazon and EBay are extensively using this technology to produce customized items for the people. Apart from this, these companies have collaborated with 3D printing firms such as MakerBot, Sculpteo and Hot Pop Factory to launch an iOS app named Exact, which allows the customers to 3D print objects from the website of MakerBot, Sculpteo and Hot Pop Factory.

Amazon has gone a step ahead by launching a 3DP store in the month of July. The director of Amazon Marketplace Sales, Petra Schindler- Carter says, “The introduction of our 3D printed products store suggests the beginnings of a shift in online retail – namely that manufacturing can be more nimble to provide an immersive customer experience. Sellers, in alignment with designers and manufacturers, can offer more dynamic inventory for customers to personalize and truly make their own.”

With these examples it is clear that 3Dp is creating a lot of opportunities for marketers. Below are certain areas where 3D printing will have a great impact in days to come.

  • Customization Drive: At the starting of the article we mentioned the era of customization and 3DP is proving to be the best replicator in the whole wide world. Many companies have ventured into this field of offering customers with super hero figurines, Princess Figurines etc. The most attractive part of the entire thing is that these figurines have the face of the customer. So now you can be Batman or Cinderella.
  • Creative Campaigns: Since the market is flooded with the so many products and very often we see that more than two companies offer the same product. So in order to break this monotony various companies are coming up with creative campaigning ideas. The best example of this is that of the Coca- Cola Company which launched a new campaign in Israel. In this campaign the people were asked to create a digital figure of them, a select few won trips to the Coca- Cola factory and could turn these digital images into a real thing with the help of a 3D printer.
  • Product Development and Co- creation: Companies such as Honda and Volkswagen are developing various products with the help of these 3D printers such as the artificial thumbs produced by Honda for the workers of the factory. Another initiative of Honda is the Free Honda car which allows customers to 3D print Honda car model. Apart from this Volkswagen started a campaign named ‘The Polo Principle’. According to this campaign people were allowed to design and exhibit their own version of the car and the concept that would impress the judges would have their version of the car turned into a real life Polo!
  • Customer Support and Loyalty: Most companies fail when it comes to providing customer support. Since there is a huge lag in this area adding value to customers after a sale brings in a lot of opportunity. Usually what customers complain about is replacement of parts if a company allows replacement of these parts to be 3D printed then its gives a whole new dimension to this problem.

These are a few ways by which 3D printing in a slow but steady way is influencing marketers and marketing of products in the market.

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Bio3D’s Life Printer X Bio Printer

Bio- printing is a technology that is spreading like wild fire in the healthcare industry. The desire of man being God is somewhat coming true with the help of bio printers. These printers allow users to re- engineer the human body and make artificial organs and tissues that help in various transplantations. This technology has gained a lot of acknowledgement in the past few years. The impact of this technology is gigantesque. It has the capability of putting an end to the factors that affect people due to age and also show us a new dimension in fighting with diseases, injuries and aging. At present there are a few companies and organizations that are working on pushing this technology ahead.

One such company is Bio3D Technologies which is a new company based in Singapore. Recently it has announced the release of the country’s first Bio-printer named Bio3D Life Printer X. it is capable of printing living human tissues and cells for drug testing and experimentation. The best part of this printer is that it helps researchers to drug test ad experiment with human tissues and cells without putting the life of the patient in danger. After filing two patents on their micro printing and bio printer the company is now ready to launch their new bio printer in the market. If the machine works as per the claims that are being made by the company then this machine could be the next big thing in the medical and research community.

The key features of the machine are as follows:

  • Supports multiple materials printing including bio- and non-bio materials all together in a single session.
  • Upgradable modular printing heads.
  • Unlimited number of printing heads.
  • Precision of less than 10 microns.
  • Improved predictability and consistency.
  • Fits any sizes and shapes of containers and lab ware on the print platform.
  • Auto-alignment platform for accurate layering.
  • New and refreshing software interface.
  • Bio3D EASY Editor for precise coding in an easy to understand language.
  • Bio3D Visual Editor for graphical designing of structures and designs.
  • Tablets-friendly and comes with a Windows 8 powered tablet.
  • Voice command.
  • Anti-vibration pads.
  • Uses standard consumables.
  • Low switching and adopting cost.

The life printer is unique because the bio printer is one of the few printers that allow multiple bio materials to be printed at the same time. Since in one go there are many bio materials that are produced there is a lot of time that is being saved by this machine. The print heads of the printer are modular so various types of print heads can be easily fit onto it. For prints that are a bit complex the machine allows a combination of organic and inorganic materials that can be deposited in a single print session. The precision of the printer is also very appreciable i.e. 10 microns. The machine also boasts of an auto aligning print platform and a anti- vibration pad. These two key features assure that the prints that are generated have an accurate layering. The printer responds to voice command and can also be operated by a Windows 8 tablet. The printer is very affordable. The company has fixed the price of this printer at $2, 400 for a single extruder model and the more complex ones are priced at $8, 000.

This printer will surely give the other bio- printers that are available in the market a tough time.

Image Credit: Bio-3d.com