A new dimension
3D printing technology (also known as additive manufacturing or ‘AM’) has undergone enormous developments in recent years, going from a new experimental technology to a fully-fledged industry solution for aerospace, medical, and robotic applications.
With innovations taking place everyday, many print and sign companies have begun adopting 3D print technology in order to bolster their offerings and complement existing services.
3D objects and builds are already a staple of the signage industry decorating the likes of billboards, art installations, and unique structures, all to add a wow factor to the project.
Companies that cater to sectors like the medical industry or construction industry can build on their existing solutions such as labels, adhesives, hoarding boards, and retail displays to offer 3D design and print services.
Companies like Emerald House Associates, Prosign Print and Display, and Print Point, have all added 3D print services to their offerings in order to tap into this emerging market to help designers, architects, and artists.
O Factoid: The first 3D printing technology beccame available in the late 1980's and was called Rapid Prototyping (RP). This was due to the process being originally conceived as a fast and more cost-effective method for creaing prototypes for product development O
3D print still remains a specialised space however, with many machines, especially in the wide-format and large 3D area, being produced in the Nordic or Benelux regions.
Tractus 3D and Massivit 3D Printing Technologies are two companies producing 3D printing solutions.
Machines like the Massivit 10000 have been highly commended at ceremonies such as the TCT Awards with the machine being announced as one of two Highly Commended AM technologies.
Massivit machines have been used to produce large-scale prints such as concept cars, film and stage props, as well as bespoke mannequins.
Products like the Tractus 3D T3500SE have been used in the signage and retail space to create point-of-purchase displays, interior decor, and exhibition designs.
German reseller of Tractus 3D Gröner is located in Ulm, the birthplace of theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. This led the two companies to work together to 3D print a 3.5-meter-high bust of Einstein to raise money for the Albert Einstein Discovery Center.
While there are many great examples of this ever-expanding technology, printers and sign-makers would be wise to research this area and consider whether to invest in the technology or to outsource it to specialist providers.
Experts in 3D
When it comes to 3D offerings, many sign-makers will still turn to traditional materials like acrylic, foam PVC, and aluminium.
Built up letters and objects can prove costly due to the cost of machinery, and the time it takes to produce certain projects.
This is where utilising expertise in retail, construction, or bespoke architecture has worked to the advantage of display companies that can offer 3D print alongside existing solutions to further their total service package.
Hobs 3D is one company that has made 3D a core part of its propositions, as it interweaves with other parts of the business.
Managing director for Hobs 3D, Eric Savant, explains: “The Hobs Group, consisting of Hobs Reprographics and Hobs 3D, has been trading for over 50 years and holds a royal warrant for reprographics printing. Over the years the capabilities of the group grew to include signage, large- format, hoardings, bespoke applications, and scanning.”
Hobs 3D has over ten years’ experience in creating 3D printed models
“The 3D business emerged out of a demand from clients in the AEC (Architectural Engineering and Construction) industries for models to help clients and stakeholders better understand the form and environmental impact of proposed developments. That demand carried through to including 3D visualisations and CGI. Through Hobs 3D, the Hobs Group now offers a full suite of 3D printing, 3D visualisation, interactive and model-making capabilities.”
A company like Hobs demonstrates the wide array of options 3D print allows for, but most importantly that this is an entire industry purely in itself.
Savant adds: “3D printing is no longer a niche industry with a few production techniques and limited applications. You can find a 3D printing solution in almost every industry imaginable. Invisalign use 3D printing to create their bespoke teeth straighteners; aircraft manufacturers use metal 3D printers to create bespoke parts that reduce weight and therefore save fuel; and medical researchers are literally learning to print organs through 3D printing.
3D printing is no longer a niche industry with a few production techniques and limited applications. You can find a 3D printing solution in almost every industry imaginable”
“Wherever there is a need for nimble, small scale, or bespoke production, a 3D printing solution will be found to satisfy it.”
While large machines and technology are available on the marketplace, just as many sign companies have transitioned to become sellers and installers rather than manufacturers, 3D print is most certainly one option for sellers and creators to outsource to the experts.
Hobs Repro offers services in 3D, reprographics, visual communications, AI automated bids, and digital
Savant says: “Hobs 3D’s chosen technology has had a primary target of architecture and construction but has opened up possibilities in engineering, product design and art as well.”
Speaking of the company’s experience supplying display solutions, Savant adds: “We were recently asked by a pub landlord to print some of the more three-dimensional aspects of his hanging sign, a much more eye-catching display than a flat painted sign. We also had a company requesting a full 3D representation of their corporate logo, which we were able to print in full colour. These are just two examples of the expanded services we’ve been able to offer through our 3D printing facility.”
Just as important as knowing what can be offered through 3D print is knowing the technology involved in order to better understand its capabilities.
The technologies Hobs 3D has at its disposal include SLA printing (stereolithography), ColourJet Powder Printing, and MultiJet Printing.
Savant explains: “SLA Printing is a resin-based technology where liquid resin is solidified with exposure to UV light. We have some of the largest SLA printing capacity in the UK with each machine possessing almost a square meter of printing volume. We use these machines to produce high-definition models with an injection moulding smooth finish. The models can be painted, sand-blasted or lacquered to represent just about anything a client wants.”
Like SLA, MultiJet is another resin-based technology which uses resin droplets and UV light to create highly detailed objects at a smaller scale. Savant says: “The clients for this type of printing tend to be in product design or fashion.”
Describing the pros and cons of ColourJet, Savant states: “CJP is a powder-based technology, and we use these machines to produce models that are colourised during the printing, so the only finishing required is a final coating of a bonding material.
“The finished product is very much like a porcelain figure. The advantages are that we can get to a final product quickly without much manual work, but the downside is the object is somewhat fragile, which is not ideal for signage.”
Innovations in the industry
Another company that has a rich history in wide-format printing and providing high-quality solutions to the sign and graphics industries is Mimaki Engineering. Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor for Mimaki in the UK and Ireland has learnt more about 3D print technology via Mimaki since it was developed around four years ago.
As the exclusive distributor of Mimaki Engineering in the UK and Ireland, Hybrid Services offers a range of LED UV, 3D, dye sublimation, and textile inkjet printers
Duncan Jefferies, head of marketing and business development at Hybrid Services, says: “Mimaki Engineering is a Japanese print technology manufacturer with decades of history in supplying wide-format printing and cutting hardware to a broad range of industries, including sectors such as sign and graphics, industrial printing and textile and apparel.
“Around four years ago, the company expanded its reach into 3D printing, with an innovative, full-colour solution. The Mimaki 3DUJ-2207 is a new iteration of the original product, delivered in a compact package and available at a highly competitive price point.”
With Mimaki also specialising in smaller, more bespoke solutions, Jefferies comments: “Its USP (unique selling point) is its capability to create highly detailed models in full colour. In fact, the Mimaki 3DUJ-2207 is able to print 10,000,000 colours, achieving 84% of the Fogra 39L colour gamut and over 90% of SWOP (specifications for web offset printing) gamut, allowing corporate colours and brand identities to be accurately matched.”
The Mimaki 3DUJ-2207 is a full colour/resin 3D printer capable of producing 3D prototypes, figurines, and architectural models
As new markets open and grow, Jefferies highlights the opportunity for signage companies to rethink how they operate: “Sign-makers creating point-of-sale and signage, potentially offers added value to their client base with 3D printed products created in accurately replicated colour. Additionally, 3D printing can also help sign and display companies to diversify into prototyping packaging work.
“The ability to supply high quality, full- colour 3D models to customers that not only look amazing but are also extremely profitable is a huge commercial benefit. Supplier technology that helps customers innovate and offer inspiring solutions is a great way to retain end customers, and differentiate a business as being innovative and client-focussed.”
Just as large 3D machines are able to produce impressive props and large scale displays, many machines are able to create more bespoke parts, models, or even pieces of fashion or jewellery.
Jefferies states: “Mimaki’s newest 3D printer, the 3DUJ-2207 has been designed with functionality at its core, with its compact footprint and a 203 x 203 x 76mm build space – just two key features which demonstrate its unique versatility and make it ideally suited for office environments.
“Utilising UV-curing inkjet technology, the high-definition colour reproduction made possible with the Mimaki 3DUJ-2207 3D printer provides new possibilities for prototyping and enables the accurate construction of subtle colour differences which are critical for many projects.”
Though colour range has held back 3D prints in the past, new machines are pushing through with new colour capabilities and new materials to help diversify the use of 3D printed products.
“Mimaki’s innovative 3DUJ-2207 represents a huge step forward for colour accuracy, fine detail and post-print processing,” adds Jefferies.
“The 3DUJ-2207 offers a unique combination of its full-colour printing capabilities, 28-micron layer thickness and water-soluble support materials enabling fine detail to be printed in vibrant colour. With additional features such as Mimaki’s clear resin, which can be used alone or mixed with colours to achieve varying levels of transparency, the new 3DUJ-2207 3D printer presents a robust, advanced 3D printing solution with an affordable price tag, all within a machine sufficiently compact to fit in an office elevator.”
Discussing the opportunities investments in 3D print offer, Jefferies says: “One of the many benefits of 3D printing is that it covers a vast array of applications and potential customer bases. Display companies may already be producing ‘traditional’ 2D digitally printed renders of a visual plan for architects, for example.
Being able to offer a 3D printed model, in full colour and high detail is the ultimate way to wow the customer.”
While 3D print may still seem like a far off concept to some, print and sign providers may be surprised to find how many solutions can be created through this technology.
Whether it is collaborating with new partners, or investing in new equipment, it is clear the decisions surrounding this technology require careful planning around the usage within your business, and the part it will play in expanding industries of the future.
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