Future Links July 1st 2015
Here are our daily links with the most important news from the printing industry. Today they feature a portray of Indian start up Global 3D Labs, a price rise for paper from Mitsubishi HiTec Paper, an automated 3D brick printing machine from Austria and an explanation as to why the Copyright Office is currently looking into 3D printing.
Global 3D Labs looks to accelerate the 3D printing revolution in India
Your Story offers an interesting portrait of the Indian start-up Global 3D Labs, a new player in the 3D printing sector. The young company is into manufacturing, sales, and servicing of 3D printers. Their main products are Pramaan and Pramaan Mini targeted at organizations and hobbyists respectively. They also develop industry specific 3D printers. For example, they created Chocobot for the baking industry.
More at Your Story
Mitsubishi HiTec Paper announces broad price rise
Mitsubishi HiTec Paper is increasing its paper prices by 8% for all products. This affects high-quality thermal papers (thermoscript), digital imaging papers (jetscript) and carbonless papers (giroform) as well as label papers (supercote). According to a statement released by the company, this price rise was prompted by “constantly rising costs, particularly of raw materials”.
More at PrintWeek
Shapeways raises $30 million and eyes Japanese markets
Dutch 3D printing service bureau Shapeways recently raised 30 million in a funding round led by INKEF Capital. The round included the firm’s existing investors – Union Square Ventures, Index Ventures, Lux Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz as well as the two new investors Hewlett Packard and Presidio Ventures. Presidio Ventures is part of the Sumitomo group, one of Japan’s largest business groups. According to Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen “their knowledge about Japan will help bring Shapeways to the Japanese market when the time is right.”
More at 3D Printing Industry
Automated 3D brick printing machine lays 1.000 bricks an hour
In yesterday’s future links we mentioned a project to create an entire office building with 3D printed furniture. Now, an Australian engineer has reportedly developed the Hadrian 3D printer which prints bricks instead of filament. Due to its tremendous speed and ability to work 24 hours a day, this machine has the potential to make building houses faster and more cost-effective.
More at 3Ders
3D printed door hinges lead to cost reduction
German project manufacturer Popp Group recently added 3D printing to its repertoire of production technologies. Using a printer from RepRap, the Group produced 3D printed door hinges for a customer in the medical technology sector to reduce manufacturing costs for medical cabinets. Back in April, German lingerie maker Anita Dr. Helbig already showed that 3D-Printing can be very effective at reducing costs when they started using 3D printing for mold design and construction.
More at Plastics Today
Why the United States Copyright Office is looking into 3D printing
Author Michael Weinberg is looking into the reasons the United States Copyright Office is concerning itself with 3d printing, an area normally associated with patent rather than copyright issues. He compares the current development to that of 2D Printers a decade ago, when certain manufacturers tried to use copyright to lock customers into using toner made by them.
More at 3dPrint