IRgA Managing Director Ed Avis interviewed Kieran O'Brien, CEO of Hobs Reprographics in the U.K., about Hobs' 3D printing business. Hobs recently printed models that were featured at an event at Buckingham Palace. Hobs has a 3D printing service bureau that includes two Z Corp 650s and six employees.
1) When did Hobs begin its 3D printing business?
April 2012.
2) What prompted you to enter the business?
It was a natural progression as most of our clients are within the AEC sector and because we understand the importance of innovation and technology we realised how much this would benefit our clients.
3) Were the Z Corp 650s your first 3D printers, or did you have others before?
We previously used a ZPrinter 510. The ZPrinter 650’s are a huge improvement as they offer a more office friendly alternative. 3D software and files have improved over the years and the consumables are more stable.
4) How difficult, from a technical standpoint, has 3D printing been for you? Did your staff require much training?
The biggest challenge is to have an experienced file preparation team that are able to recognise whether a file is 3D printable and if not are able to prepare it. Many of the files received require some form of fixing or manipulating either to repair or modify to reduce costs.
The operation of the 3D printers also requires training however all of these skills can be attained within in a few months.
5) Do you need to educate your clients about file preparation, or do their existing Autocad files work with the 3D printer?
Most CAD/3D modelling software can export to the .stl format that 3D printers read however there is usually some modification to the file such as thickening up walls and hollowing to save on costs. We attempt to educate our clients by reporting back on any errors fixed to ensure a learning process finally resulting in perfect 3D printable files.
6) How much maintenance do the 3D printers require? Are they reliable?
The ZPrinters are very reliable and require little maintenance. The printer software automatically alerts you to when you need to do any maintenance and won’t allow you to print unless this has been updated and only if there is enough consumables to run the 3D print.
7) What types of models are you creating for your clients? What has been the most interesting?
The majority of models that we produce are architectural or construction as this is our main client base however we also do product design, bottles, jewellery, medical parts, boats, art educational models.
Recently we 3D printed a full colour 2m model of the Victoria Underground Station including all the ticket halls, escalators and actual tube lines. We also 3D printed a 3D scanned model of James May that was used for one of his TV shows. The production team required a miniature version to be inserted into a remote control hand glider. It looked eerily real!
8) How complex can the 3D models be?
This is one of the best bits about 3D printing! The complexity that can be achieved is difficult or sometimes impossible to match when trying to produce traditionally by hand. The complexity of the part does not affect the cost as it all comes down to volume of the part.
9) You mention in your email that your next step is to add "production" 3D printers to your Manchester and Glasgow businesses. Are production printers different from Z Corp 650s? What type of work would you do with these printers?
The Zprinter 650 is a professional printer used for making prototypes mostly for evaluation and look and feel – these will be installed along with a few desktop Cube X’s in our Manchester and Glasgow branches. The production SLA Ipro 8000 can produce actual functional part that can used for testing or short production runs.This will be installed along with 3 x Zprinters in our London office. It will be the only one of its kind in London and can produce models as big as 750 x 650 x 550mm.
10) Judging from the fact that you are adding printers, it appears that business is good. Can you tell me a little about that? For example, how long was it before the 3D printing became profitable for you? What are the margins?
Margins are lower than 2D printing but, well presented, selling the new entry into the market is likely to find that business is available from a wide business sector. However, as the investment is likely to be high, good returns are required.
11) Any advice for other reprographics shops interested in this market?
Ensure you evaluate your market correctly to ensure you purchase the correct type of 3D printer and invest in knowledgeable staff.