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Considering 3D printing? Here's what to think about
Olivia Parker
It looks like science fiction, but it's trickier than it seems
3D printing is like something out of science fiction. By pressing
a button, one can produce custom, intricately designed prod-
ucts using a variety of materials. In recent years, the process
has evolved with technological innovations, unique applica-
tions, and integrations into both for-profit and not-for-profit
enterprises. With its scope and ingenuity, print businesses are
now considering including 3D printing in their service
offerings.
I interviewed two individuals: the first is Laurie Mirsky president
of 3DPhacktory, a full-service 3D printing and design studio in
downtown Toronto founded in 2012, which offers high-resolu-
tion, multiple material 3D printing to customers in a wide variety
of disciplines. The second is Dr. Julielynn Wong, of 3D4MD
and Medical Makers, who has utilized open source software,
crowd-sourcing, and the accessibility of 3D printing in libraries
and maker spaces to cultivate a community of humanitarian
innovators who create low cost, quality-tested medical and
assistive devices.
But acquiring a 3D printer is not the only step, whether one
wishes to make revenue or leverage the technology for social
good; there are challenges that should be carefully considered.
The question is what aspects should a business consider to
achieve success.
Know your customer
3DPhacktory serves a diverse array of customers from engin-
eers to entrepreneurs to artists. However, Mirsky initially
selected the business’s Dundas location because of its proxim-
ity to the creative technical companies that service film studios
in Toronto. “There’s fifteen stages within a ten minute drive of
here…so part of our thing was, ‘okay let’s open up in a place
that’s in the neighbourhood of [individuals] who will embrace
this technology’ ” (Mirsky). It is not uncommon for 3DPhacktory
to sit down with a production designer and help them quickly
produce props that do not exist in real life.
Whether it is a medical specialist on the other side of the globe,
an astronaut on the International Space Station, or a patient
searching for an affordable solution, 3D4MD has a large pool
of potential clients. Regardless of who approaches them with
a medical problem, the network of Medical Makers is always
up to the challenge of creating a design these customers can
produce with local resources. For example, Medical Makers
developed a 3D-printed cup holder that can be installed on
any model of wheelchair.
Train staff well
Both 3DPhacktory and Medical Makers rely on the skills of their
24 | November 2017 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
team to generate revenue or crowd-source designs for social
good. For 3DPhacktory employees are involved throughout the
entire manufacturing process both as production and client-
facing problem solvers. Mirsky explains, “the technical curve is
huge. Staffing, finding the right people who can be conversant
in all these softwares, be able to keep an eye on the machines,
work with the different technologies and clients [is paramount].
So it’s really not just finding somebody…you’re paying a higher
labour rate because you need to have a certain skill set.”
Medical Makers’ approach is
to incorporate the 3D printing
education into their recruit-
ment process. “Typically
somebody would come to a
Medical Make-a-Thon, we
would train them on skills that
would allow them to make
solutions that would save
lives, time, or money” (Wong).
She elaborates, “We’ve
trained Doctors Without Bor-
der’s humanitarian workers
on how to 3D-print items in
the field. So if medical or other equipment breaks or supplies
run out, they can email us, and our global community of innov-
ators can use free software to make a 3D printable solution
which we would ensure is printable and functional before we
email it back to them in the field.”
The old adage “the
customer is always
right” does not
necessarily apply in the
realm of 3D printing
Manage the entire process
3D printing is one of those technologies that becomes sensa-
tionalized. The two-minute clips a news station might present
about the topic may fascinate an audience but they fail to
capture the true reality of 3D printing. Aspects such as exten-
sive post processing, the cost variations and physical property
differences between materials, and the lengthy printing times
are lost in a time-lapse video.
Therefore, the old adage “the customer is always right” does
not necessarily apply in the realm of 3D printing. When one
possesses an expert staff, their goal is not only to produce the
final product but also assess it, from digital file to completion.
For example, trusting files from online sources is tricky. As
Wong describes, “just because a design looks good on your
computer doesn’t mean you can print it…I think the challenge
Thingiverse and other open-source digital libraries face is that
there is no quality control. And that’s fine, maybe, if you’re
making a toy but that is not acceptable when it comes to 3D
printing medical devices.”
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