it's monday so it's time for "industry insight"....there's a burgeoning industry out there that some people say is on the brink of revolutionizingthe world. it's none other than... 3d printing... andthey say... it could be one of the key technologies of the 21st century.arirang news' kim ji-yeon gives us the details of... the evolving 3d printing industry herein korea.
how many 3d printing companies are there, in the beginning it was the cool factor thatearly adopters recognized from 3d printing. and the early players like stratasys, 3d-systemsand shapeways from the u.s. and japan's d-m-m were quick to cater to hobbyists and industrialistswith an eye on the future. in korea, those first in line for a 3d printerinclude researchers in the medical sector
looking for innovative ways to treat patients.for example, a local hospital, saint mary's hospital of catholic university successfullyperformed an artificial joint treatment earlier this year by using 3d printing to make customizedprototypes. the hospital says it wants to try to expandthe technology to make functioning organs in the future.other large hospitals are racing to patent the three dimensional printing technologythat will be used for skull or dental implants and drug delivery agents in the human body.but despite promising signs of the technology, it's currently in its infant stages in korea.barriers like price and usability are preventing mainstream users from getting their handson the technology.
but some 3d printing companies are workingon changing that. take a look. 3d printers aren't as commonly used by averageconsumers in korea due to its huge price tag. the hardware sells at around 2-thousand u.s.dollars. in order to break down such economic barriers,3d-developer, founded by its parent trading company, mirae international trade,... launcheda leasing and rental program for the public. "we want to lead more people to use the 3dprinting technology because we believe this is a very good thing, good for the industrialefficiency and also it can help to get their own customized product. also they can changepeople's lifestyle. so in order to expand
this new technology we're trying to watchwhat is the real barrier for the market." with monthly rental fees set at 35 u.s. dollarsand an option to buy at the end of a two-year contract period, the company says its printerleasing program creates easier accessibility for customers to try the new hardware.the program also assures the machine will continue to operate properly, even after it'spurchased. the company says its customers are not limitedto a specific group... but includes manufacturers of toys and jewelry, as well as r&d centers,universities... and ordinary people. "for example, we can try to make my shoes.somebody can scan my feet and then maybe we can design. we can change some design to makemy own shoes and then i can just print it."
another company is also trying to widen theuse of 3d printers... by making the hardware more easy to use for the average customer.open-creators, the country's first start-up company in the 3d printing industry, saysits printer, called the "almond," is by far the easiest printer to use, yet.for most people it takes just the afternoon to get it up and running. "almond has an auto-leveling function... itchecks 9 points of a surface and adjusts the appropriate slope of the bed... eliminatingthe need for the user to manually attach any nuts and bolts. also, there's a cooling pen...that brings down the temperature of the melted material... which improves printing quality."
and for consumers who are worried about looks?the almond has both substance and style. it was awarded some of the world's most renowneddesign awards including the red dot and idea awards.open-creators says it's working toward a vision... to try to create an atmosphere, a culturewhere every household has a 3d printer in their homes, equivalent to appliances liketvs and vacuum cleaners. the company offers a weekly workshop opento anyone who wants to maximize the utility
of its product. these efforts by the 3d printing industryare expected to open up the technology to the mainstream and pave the way for more specializedapplications to become a part of our everyday
lives.kim ji-yeon, arirang news.
