Big Picture - January/February 2018 - 18

inside output

Reimagining 3D
Don't count this technology out just yet. | by Craig Miller

I've written two columns on the advances in 3D printing

and our company's small dive into additive manufacturing
in the past five years or so. (Did you know you can find
past work from all the Big Picture columnists by simply
searching for their names at bigpicture.net? You can see
how well many of us predicted the future.) We've had a 3D
printer and CAD software for more than four years and 3D
scanning for more than two, but we recently decided to crank it
up a notch. Our Massivit 1800 was delivered in September, and
a Mimaki 3DUJ-553 arrived the first week in October.
I'm not going to pitch these machines to you, but I want
you to consider the disruption their technology will introduce
in both 2D and 3D print markets. I also want to explore why
it's important for those of us in wide-format 2D printing to pay
attention to this new world of printing opportunities. Finally,
we'll look globally at a shift in focus in the 3D industry that is
reflected in how we approach the education of our future
printers, designers, and engineers.

BIG PICTURE

January/February 2018

ETIOLOGY
What's unique about both of these machines is that, unlike
many 3D printers on the market, they have their origins in
the business of wide-format 2D printing.
Massivit is an Israeli startup with a fascinating background built by a team of executives with companies like
Scitex and Scodix on their resumes. And it goes without
saying that Mimaki is a fixture of our 2D print industry.
So, how do these companies' 2D roots manifest in their 3D
developments? Typically, you think of 3D printing as focused on
engineering, prototyping, and short-run manufacturing. The
prints themselves are typically too small and the printers too
slow to make much of an impact in our industry. Our existing
3D printer has been used almost exclusively for making

THE LIST OF DEMANDS
So what technological advancements would be required to serve
the wide-format digital 2D print markets? Size is the first thing that
comes to mind, as the word "wide" would suggest. The 3DUJ-553
models objects up to 20 x 20 x 12 inches - a large build envelop
by historical 3D standards. The Massivit is truly massive, with
output up to 69 x 57 x 45 inches. Both of these printers produce
objects large enough to satisfy our core customers.

CRAIG MILLER is a principal shareholder in Las Vegasbased Pictographics (pictographics.net) where he is also director
of military and law-enforcement projects.

prototype parts for our internal needs. When someone says "3D
printing," applications like vehicle wraps, point-of-purchase,
window displays, signage, tradeshow exhibits, or interior décor
don't usually come to mind. But, those applications are where
these companies have their roots, so it's only natural that these
printers are focused on and have developed specific technology
to serve in this market.
You and I are the target customers for both of these
machines. Our existing 2D print customers are the potential
end users. This made it easier for us to decide on a major push
into 3D printing. We did our market research by reaching out
to our existing customer base and gauging their reaction to
sample prints and pictures. Based on the course we have
chosen, you can guess the reactions were good.

http://www.bigpicture.net http://www.pictographics.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - January/February 2018