3D printing showcased at NEC show


Jack Dempsey, 3D printing guru at Box, gives the low-down after visiting the biggest show of its kind in the UK

I recently attended the TCT Show at the NEC in Birmingham. It boasts the largest concentration of advanced digital manufacturing exhibits in the UK and, of course, a large percentage of that is 3D printing.

As product manager in this area, I’ve obviously got a strong grasp of the technology – but that doesn’t mean I’m not still amazed when I find out some of things that can be achieved with 3D printing.

What was immediately obvious at TCT was the vast spectrum of industries that are now benefitting from 3D printing. This isn’t Tomorrow’s World stuff – this is happening all over the UK here and now.

In one section of the hall there was a huddle of dentists. The dental industry has found 3D printing to be very useful in making dentures. Many practices are now able to use specialist equipment to photograph a person’s mouth and then use a 3D printer to create perfectly-sized dentures – in far less time and far more cost-effectively.

Turn the corner and there was a cluster of automotive professionals purring over a printer which was creating car parts out of carbon fibre and nylon – and the parts are stronger and cheaper than when traditional methods are used.

Then there were stands occupied by architects, who are using 3D printing to wow customers by quickly creating precise, to scale models of how their building will look.

Here at Box, we have a range of almost 40 different 3D printers models which are proving increasingly popular. We’re finding that our big audience at the moment is with small businesses and hobbyists who are dipping their toes into the world of ABS filament and modelling software.

Many of our customers have shared their creations with us, including masks for cosplay and models for games like Warhammer. They are very proud of their finished products and rightly so – they’re amazing!

We are only just starting to scratch the surface of the 3D printing potential. There are ground-breaking times ahead!

Click here to view Box’s range of 3D printers

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