Absolute Design and Print of Fletcher is now offering 3D prototype printing for designers. This “additive manufacturing” thermoplastic printing process can produce products up to eight inches by eight inches by six inches in a variety of colors. Call 684-6491 for more information.
Here is the full release from Absolute Design and Print, Inc.:
Absolute Design and Print, a full-service printer and digital content provider, now offers something new- prototype printing.
“This is a service that we can offer to the smaller professional designer,” said Kevin Wright, owner. “3D technology really opens up the doors to have a fully-functional, working prototype in the palm of their hand in a matter of hours.”
The Fletcher-based company uses the uPrint SE Plus from Stratasys. The unit can produce 3D prints up to 8 x 8 x 6 inches in colors of ivory, white, blue, fluorescent yellow, black, red, nectarine, olive green or gray. This printing technology uses thermoplastic to create models and functional prototypes that are durable, stable and pinpoint accurate. The process is called “Additive manufacturing” (as opposed to the more traditional “Subtractive” method of sculpting). The results are realistic prototypes and marketing models that can be used to evaluate form, fit and function. Everything from ergonomics to manufacturing processes are now easily explored.
“Being able to take an idea, plot it out in a computer program, and then print that image in 3D really brings production online much faster than before the technology was here,” Wright says. “Using 3D printing streamlines the development process.”
So how does 3D printing work? Inside the iPrint SE Plus, plastic filament travels through a tube to the print head, where it’s heated to a semi-liquid state and extruded with precision. Layer after layer of the material is laid down to create a whole object. It’s a technology that was first created more than 30 years ago.
3D printing has applications in architecture, construction, industrial design, automotive design, aerospace, military, engineering, etc. It has also become popular in areas such as dental and medical technology, fashion, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, and more. Interestingly, even food may one day be printed, which may help feed the ballooning population.Absolute Design and Print, is located at 75 American Way in Fletcher. Their phone number is 828-684-6491.
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