3D printing provides new growth opportunity for resellers

With 3D printing presenting an expanding and relatively untapped market, distributor Comworth Technologies is giving resellers the opportunity to get in the game with the sharpest priced, most consumer-friendly printer on the market.

The new Da Vince 1.0 from XYZ Printing is capable of producing models of up to 20 centimetres cubed and enters the New Zealand market at a retail price expected to be below $900.

That makes it ideal for education, home, hobbies and businesses, says product manner Paul Francois.

“The entry level price and plug n play simplicity of Da Vinci means even those who are curious about exploring the possibilities of 3D printing can now do so without the cost or risk,” he notes.

3D printing technology is used for both prototyping and manufacturing with applications in architecture, construction, industrial design, automative, aerospace, military, engineering, civil engineering, denial and medical industries.

It has even seen application in biotechnology (human tissue replacement), fashion, footwear, jewellery, eyewear, education and geographic information systems.

“This is the first time for many years we are seeing growth in the print market,” Francois adds. “So for resellers this is an exciting and potentially lucrative opportunity.”

The Da Vinci works almost as simply as a conventional printer and is supplied with easy-to-use software which allows the user to drag and drop files into a virtual build space.

Users can then scale, move and rotate individual models or groups of models at once. It is designed to eliminate the complexity of modelling so anyone can use it and it an ideal solution for schools.

A catalogue of thousands of designs are available for download from the XYZ Cloud or other 3D models sites, and the XYZ software will handle the common .stl file format as well as G Code or XYZ files.

The Da Vinci printer was released late last year in the US, winning the Editors Choice Awards 2014 at the prestigious CES technology showcase.

Developed by XYZ Printing in Taiwan, the printer has undergone extensive testing to establish its suitability for the market and is fully supported locally by Comworth with help desk support and a one year return to base warranty.

Francois says resellers should get in quick; “As a new market, 3D printing offers competitive margins and the ability for resellers to build new revenue streams of both hardware and consumables and grow their businesses with a solution suitable for new and existing customers.”

Preorders for the first shipment of the device will be available from Comworth from April 2014, with stock landing in May.

For more information visit www.xyzprinting.co.nz