3D Printing in the Cloud
When 3Design first entered the New Zealand 3D printing market, we thought that this innovative technology would spark a surge in a range of consumers from business owners to hobbyists to integrate 3D printing into their lives. What we discovered was a high demand for 3D printing from businesses, but a lack of demand from the general public. People who wanted to try out 3D printing did not want to have to buy an expensive 3D printer or keep up with its maintenance. The idea of 3D printing seemed intimidating because of the knowledge needed to successfully operate a printer to get the outcome you are looking for.
We realised there are no current services available in New Zealand for the general public that want to try 3D printing without the associated expensive costs and knowledge required to operate a 3D printer. That’s why 3Design has created a 3D printing farm. This means anyone, anywhere in New Zealand can create the 3D models they want with nothing more than an internet connection.
The printing farm is run from our Tauranga-based studio using Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus desktop printers. Consumers can go online to the 3Design website and access these printers remotely, allowing them to upload a 3D file of the model they want to be made and letting the printer do the rest of the work. They can choose whether their model is made from PLA plastic filament and decide what colour it is. Once their object has finished printing, we will package it and send to wherever they are in New Zealand.
What excites us most about our new printing farm is the opportunities it opens for those that were previously unsure about using 3D printing because of its costs. We can offer them a cost-effective and time-saving way to utilise 3D printing technology, without having to have any 3D printing knowledge or their own 3D printer. Our 3D printing farm breaks down the barrier that stops the general public from being able to experience 3D printing technology and gives them the option to 3D print all from the comfort of their own home or office.
