Just a few years ago the idea of 3D printing was more science fiction than consumer reality – think Star Trek replicators but without the fancy graphics and sounds.
3D printers take computer designs and turn them into physical 3-dimensional objects by slowing building up layer upon layer of a material (usually plastic).
More usually the reserve of university research departments and industrial design studios, Shapeways – an Eindhoven-based spin-out from Royal Philips Electronics in The Netherlands – has taken this technology and developed the first consumer 3D printing service.
“Just upload your design, we print it and ship it to you – it’s easy. Within ten working days you’ll hold your own design in your hands.”
If you have a knowledge of 3D design software then you can pretty much just upload and go – the (surprisingly reasonable) price you pay is based on the type and amount of material used in your creation. If you’re already a handy designer but have yet to master 3D modeling there are tutorials and a forum on the site.
For the rest of us non-design types, you can still have fun by customizing existing product designs (like the ‘light poem’ pictured) using the Creator function. And most fascinating from a business perspective, there is a growing community of members who are selling their own designs via a shops section on the site.
From custom jewelry designers to sculptors and architects to inventive craft companies, the potential business applications are only beginning to emerge. And as the technology becomes both increasingly less expensive and more portable, we’re sure this is a topic we’ll be returning to time and time again.
Site: www.shapeways.com
Thanks to Iain Hughes / epredator for the inspiration for this article.
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