Design Firm Uses Z Corp. 3D Printer

16 June 2009, 10:20pm

BURLINGTON, Mass., USA– A design firm working for many of the UK’s leading retailers is using 3D printing technology from Z Corporation to win new business, speed prototyping and expand its service range.

Intent Design, a £1 million boutique firm in Cheshire, designs retail environments – including signage, décor, furnishings, window arrangements and point-of-purchase displays – for clients like Nike, Heineken, L’Oréal, Marks & Spencer, News International, Sony Ericsson, Siemens and T Mobile. These retail environments define the retailer’s brand. Whether sleek counters, stylish merchandise racks or “pencils in pots” for a funky children’s clothing store, Intent Design’s products also attract consumers and prompt them to buy.

“We design things differently and, we think, a little better than our competitors,” said Paul Dodd, managing director at Intent. “3D printing is one example of how we gain an edge. The ZPrinter® 450’s simplicity, speed, colour, quality and affordability facilitate design reviews and help clients to clearly understand what we’re proposing.”

ZPrinted 3D physical models give buyers a chance to touch, manipulate and scrutinise tangible objects from every angle, instead of just viewing them on a flat screen. These capabilities help close deals and ensure client expectations are met.

For internal design review, Intent uses 3D printing to quickly and affordably create physical models of injection-moulded parts – a stylish supermarket end cap, for example. “These concept prototypes cost as little as one-eighth of the money and hands-on time of CNC-milled prototypes,” claims Dodd, “resulting in more prototypes and, ultimately, more highly refined designs.”

ZPrinting expands Intent Design’s business opportunities
Intent Design is also using the ZPrinter 450 in an entirely new way that for the first time extends the company beyond its retail roots and opens up a new revenue opportunity. The company has begun creating mould patterns for bronze plaques that adorn historic monuments throughout the country.

The ZPrinter 450’s high resolution makes it easy to produce the small text, such as names and dates; a process that would be prohibitively expensive if done using CNC. Designers at Intent start by modelling text in SolidWorks® 3D CAD software and then extruding the letters. Craftsmen use the ZPrinted raised-text pattern to create a fibreglass mould for the bronze casting. This novel, cost-effective approach has resulted in several dozen new business opportunities for the company.

“We’re only just beginning to learn what we can do with 3D printing and the various materials and processes available to us,” says Dodd. “There is more opportunity here, and we plan to make the most of it.”

“It’s inspiring to see how creative people find fresh, new uses for 3D printing beyond the obviously valuable prototyping and marketing applications,” said Z Corporation CEO John Kawola. “This is the kind of innovative thinking that has placed Intent Design at the top of its industry.”

Z Corporation

Geo: International