Printers with the right customer base have the opportunity to start selling 3D printing as the technology kicks off worldwide, a 3D entrepreneur tells AP. Stuart Grover, co-founder and director of 3D Printing Studios, spoke to AP at the opening of the company’s second 3D printing experience centre in Sydney’s Parramatta – where customers are able to walk in and play with the technology, have parts made and train in the equipment.
Howard Wood (l) and Stuart Grover, co-founders of 3D Printing Studios, at the Parramatta opening
Alongside the company’s original Sydney CBD centre, a Perth shop is also up and running in Freemantle, with the first international location setting up in Singapore this month. Both Parramatta and Freemantle Councils, seeing opportunity in the technology, have supported the start-ups. For the printing industry, Grover says now is a pivotal time for printers thinking about adopting the technology. He says while half of the industry scratches its head, debating whether the technology is ready, early adopters will be racing forward and building a reputation and client base. He tells AP, “This is an amazing opportunity for the printing industry to get involved in something that’s not just a commodity; who can produce the cheapest thing. It’s about who can offer the best service and the best quality. Printers already have access to customers in several different industries that will have a need for 3D printing. “This technology has been around for the last 25 years but has been controlled by a small number of people. Now it is open to millions of people around the world who have a million ideas about how to build these things better, so we’re seeing exponential development. Just in the last two or three years, the capability of these machines has massively improved. The guys who are questioning it are going to be playing catchup.” Working alongside Grover is co-founder Howard Wood, who himself has a background in traditional print. Wood left his position as general manager of architectural, engineering and construction printer Tecnoprint, taking the company’s Z Corp 3D printer with him – which they had formerly been using to print architectural models – to organise a new venture. Wood says, “Architects were one of our biggest customer groups. We were always looking for new areas to expand into, and there was a need for this technology with our customer base. Whether 3D printing is right for you all depends on your customers. “A new owner came into the business, who was more interested in pursuing traditional print. I knew it would be a good opportunity, so I bought the machine from them and decided to go out on my own.” John Burrell, director of Castle Hill outfit Total Print Control, was present at the opening and says he will likely be offering 3D printing services before the end of the year – looking to initially outsource the work before investing in an inhouse machine. Grover and Wood have big plans for their centres, they say a call out for franchisees has been met with “crazy interest” from around the world, including potential owner-operators in Malaysia, Singapore, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines and China. Domestically, they plan to have 30 centres up and running within Australia in the next 24 months; with three or so in each major city as well as regional locations in industrial towns like Wollongong and Newcastle.
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