Blending design with technology

There’s a tiny knob missing from my hands-free car kit, which I keep meaning to replace. The thing is, I don’t think I can buy parts for it, so I probably need to fork out for a whole new system, which, frankly, I’m reluctant to do. Sound familiar? How many broken thingamajigs do you have around your home – and how many items have you chucked out with the rubbish?

One of the reasons the cost of rapid prototyping was so prohibitive in the early days was because the patents on the various methods used, meant a handful of companies had an effective monopoly over the emerging technology. As a result there was a very protective spirit around the 3D industry and it remained an industrial process that only the chosen few were privy to.

However, over the years, the technology has improved and simplified, opening it up to a broader market; an increasing number of manufacturers now use rapid prototyping – or 3D printing as it is now known in the mainstream. Chances are the shoes on your feet, or the coffee pot in your kitchen started life as a 3D printed prototype. Converse has been using 3D printers since 2004, which enables the shoe company to get more products to market more quickly.