Cape Town - The world of 3D printing is set to become more accessible as a digital print company has launched a studio dedicated to consumer printing in Cape Town.
Printing firm Wizardz and manufacturing outfit Rabbit have launched a 3D printing workshop for the general public in Gardens, outside the Cape Town CBD.
"At Rabbit, we've always had the desire to expose 3D printing and Digital Manufacturing to everyone who is interested in exploring their inner ability to create," said Rabbit founder Harry Ravelomanantsoa.
According to research firm Gartner, 3D printing will migrate from the medical and business fields before moving into consumer applications up to a decade from now.
"Consumer 3D printing is around five to 10 years away from mainstream adoption," said Pete Basiliere, research vice president at Gartner.
3D curious
The prices for 3D printers has fallen considerably since the technology was introduced, but typically, the printers start at around R35 000, putting them out of reach of reach of most South African households.
The Rabbit studio will enable people who have downloaded designs from the internet to have these "printed".
Ravelomanantsoa told Fin24 that the store is also open to passersby who are curious to see 3D printing in action.
Pricing for small designs start at around R100 and the most expensive project the company has completed was an architectural model worth R10 000.
"The future of retail digital printing has taken an interesting turn. We are so excited with the prospect of working with Harry and his wonderfully creative team from Rabbit to provide the general public with direct interactive access to this amazing technology," said Andrew Pittaway, owner of Wizardz Design & Print.
Check out this News24 Live video with Ignite 3D printing and what the possibilities are:
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