Dutch 3D printing company Beamler announces it has raised 150,000 euros through a crowdfunding campaign on Symbid. "With the money raised we want to expand our team with new marketing and salesexperts," said Willem-Jan van Loon, founder of Beamler.
Beamler has a global partner network of 3D printing companies. The Dutch company enables organisations to have products 3D printed on a large number of printers worldwide. Using services like Beamler's offers companies all kinds of benefits. For instance, they can get started with 3D printing without having to invest in 3D printers or train engineers on how to use them themselves. In addition, customers can use the 3D printer most suitable for printing their specific product and print it in the country where they need it. As a result, printed objects no longer need to be shipped abroad, enabling shorter delivery times.
Which printer is most suitable?
Van Loon explains how the system works: "Engineers create a 3D model, which they then upload into our web-based software. On this model, they can apply all kinds of filters that help select the most suitable printer for this. For example, is an object one and a half metres high? Then it will turn out that this object can only be printed on certain printers with a large enough print area. Does a customer want to realise a model in a certain material? Then printers that make this possible will be shown."
"In addition, filters can be applied to help print a product for a specific application. Think of an object for medical purposes, for which special materials are available. Also, some materials are suitable for printing objects that need to show some flexibility, while others produce a very rigid product."
Correcting design errors
A striking feature of Beamler's software is the ability to check an uploaded 3D model for design flaws that could lead to problems during 3D printing. "Think of shapes that simply cannot be printed in certain materials, but also walls of products that are designed too thin. These errors are coloured red in the software, making it immediately visible where these problems are," says Van Loon. Small problems can be fixed using so-called mesh corrections, while for larger problems engineers will have to modify the 3D model. This helps solve problems before the 3D model is printed and prevents prints from failing.
"Based on the specified parameters, the engineer receives a complete recommendation. For example, depending on the uploaded model, we recommend users to use a certain type of 3D printer within our network, print an object in a certain material and refine specific elements of their design to ensure that the product can be printed without problems," Van Loon concludes.
By: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source photo: Beamler
