Metaltec Printer Can Make Nearly Anything You Can Imagine
Geebee Micro — March 30, 2009 — Tech
References: 3dmetaltec & post-gazette
A company using a technology developed over 10 years ago by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology allows it to make anything from a computer-aided design plan and turn it into a 3D product.
Early this year at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, MetalTec Innovations, a division of Irwin-based ProMetal/Ex One Company, let visitors see what their finished product looked like after it has seemingly been cast in metal.
In this case the unique process is much quicker, doing in about 10 hours what traditional casting methods took from weeks to months to do.
What’s the criteria for being able to make a product? If it can be scanned as a virtual object, it can be made.
Because potential customers have had a hard time figuring out what the technology could do, the company focused on hardware to begin with and has moved into other products as people see their finished work.
Early this year at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, MetalTec Innovations, a division of Irwin-based ProMetal/Ex One Company, let visitors see what their finished product looked like after it has seemingly been cast in metal.
In this case the unique process is much quicker, doing in about 10 hours what traditional casting methods took from weeks to months to do.
What’s the criteria for being able to make a product? If it can be scanned as a virtual object, it can be made.
Because potential customers have had a hard time figuring out what the technology could do, the company focused on hardware to begin with and has moved into other products as people see their finished work.
Trend Themes
1. Personalized 3D Printing - Opportunities for customization and on-demand manufacturing for various industries
2. Advanced Manufacturing - Digital fabrication and scanning technology transforming traditional manufacturing processes
3. Rapid Prototyping - Quick and cost-effective prototyping with 3D printing technology
Industry Implications
1. Manufacturing - Additive manufacturing transforming the manufacturing industry
2. Construction - On-demand manufacturing and customizable design solutions for the construction industry
3. Product Design - Disruptive innovation opportunities for product designers with scans-turned-prototypes in hours not days.
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