3D printing a overview

3d Printing: What's this?

3D printing has managed to find its way into commercial applications such as product prototyping, where objects can be printed and displayed before they are sent to production.

But like all new technologies, which is now entering the stage where anyone can get a 3D printing done.

But as impressive and useful 3D printing is, would you really have to print a model in the same way you print an image?

Sculpteo believes that it is the answer. Not only can you print your own home-generated 3D models, but you can also take a series of 3D ornaments and statues, which eliminates the complicated technical aspects of 3D printing.

Started in 2009, just outside Paris, Sculpteo began life as a web site with a pair of 3D printers. The goal, in the words of CEO Sculpteo Moreau Clement, has always been to make 3D printing technology available to "the rest of us."

A successful innovation Sculpteo down, I can print a custom 3D objects - such as figurines and key rings. "Consumers are fascinated when they take advantage of this technology," says Moreau. "It allows them to create objects, they dream."

File errors

But there were some teething problems along the way. 3D objects are - of course - a much more complex than 2D them. Often, which can be viewed on a computer can not be copied in real life.

"Preliminary versions of the site was rejected three-quarters of the cases suggested," said Moreau. "Today, we automatically resolve about 90 percent of the files in 3D."

Another thing is the price. At € 59.90 (£ 52), avatar-based 3-inch face is a bit 'too much to be something more than a luxury gift.

The less complex things are much cheaper - a white plastic medallion with the outline of your face only costs € 4.26 (3.67 £). "Prices are coming down gradually, because the technology is becoming increasingly popular," says Moreau. "However, it will never be as cheap as industrial products, which are tens of thousands of objects."

Currently, the 3D printing process is almost completely automated, reducing overall costs. "Our machines are printing at night, human labor, very little at the time of printing," said Moreau. "Our employees are principally engaged in the day, finishing, post-processing and logistics."

Sculpteo show was 3D printing process to the end, but Moreau believes that you have set the pace in the coming years, perhaps even the replacement of traditional production methods.

"We believe that 3D printing is one of the alternatives to create products very soon," he said. "Customers and suppliers to make a choice between conventional molding, machining, or 3D print based on the benefits of each technology. This will lead to a new era of industry where the creation of unique pieces all over the world will be [] Normal. "

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