The Silicon Review - Best Business Review Magazine Super 30 Companies of the Year 2019 | Page 68

Leveraging 3D printing to democratize manufacturing 3DCompare 3 D printing is widely considered as the future of manufacturing. Unlike traditional manufacturing, where most three dimensional objects are made separately and assembled thereafter, 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) builds a three-dimensional object using a 3D printer by adding successive layers of materials to “print” an object. The process is somewhat similar to the process of printing on paper, where a printer prints images on a two-dimensional background. Alexander Ziff, CEO “We aim to become the go- to website for on-demand manufacturing services, which is why we’re working on creating the biggest database of manufacturing partners, with our manufacturing algorithm we ensuring users find the right manufacturer to get their product made.” 68 AUGUST 2019 3D printing reduces the costs and complexity of manufacturing significantly, in terms of overhead and labor, in addition to bolstering the speed of production. Additionally, additive manufacturing does not require any specially designed parts to churn out specific objects, since the entire product is made directly inside the manufacturing platform, layer by layer. 3DCompare is an ambitious startup that aims to establish a global network of 3D manufacturing centers for rapid production and deployment, keeping affordability in mind. The company provides an on-demand manufacturing platform where customers can upload a prepared design, and get their product 3D printed at one of the numerous manufacturers 3DCompare has partnered with. These manufacturing centers are spread across the globe and handle the manufacturing of whatever the customers order. Furthermore, 3DCompare has also partnered with delivery services that take care of packaging and shipping. 3DCompare does not own any manufacturing centres but plans to become the go-to destination for individuals as well as businesses that want to get products manufactured. The business model is similar to that of Uber and Airbnb. Uber does not own a single cab of its own, but still is the world’s largest cab company. 3DCompare will not directly own a single manufacturing center but plans to become ubiquitous in the manufacturing and 3D printing industry. Founded in the United Kingdom, the founder of 3DCompare faced all the challenges that are typical of launching and running a budding enterprise. He had to hire the right people who would contribute to the development of the platform, in addition to