Feb 3, 2016 | By Alec
Like so many other tech conventions, SolidWorks World 2016 is proving to be a great place to discover upcoming 3D printer innovations. Only yesterday, 3D design pioneers SolidWorks revealed that they will integrate 3D printing more closely into their design software through a collaboration with South Korean 3D printer manufacturers Sindoh. At that same convention in Dallas, Texas, Sindoh has now revealed that the 3Dwox DP200 3D printer (sold through Amazon) will be the first beneficiary of that partnership and that they are shifting their focus to private users, schools, and beginning hobbyists.
It’s clear that Sindoh knows what partners they need. You might know the company as one of the largest players in the South Korean 3D printer market, though they actually have years of experience in the 2D printing market and still have a very significant presence there. “Unlike other additive manufacturing companies at hundreds or thousands of machine-production scale, Sindoh is applying experiences accumulated through millions of 2D printers into 3D printers. By leveraging 56 years of expertise and massive manufacturing capacities, Sindoh is able to ensure consistent quality, improve user experiences beyond technology, and provide competitive pricing,” SolidWorks yesterday said of their decision to team up with that South Korean company.
Right: Thomas Kim. Source: Korea Times.
But there’s clearly a lot more in the Sindoh pipeline than that collaboration. As Sindoh’s strategic business development general manager Thomas Kim said in an interview during SolidWorks World 2016 on Tuesday, they are also seeking to tackle on of the most problematic hurdles surrounding 3D printing adoption: that it’s a difficult skill to master. “Sindoh's 3D printer supports plug-and-play and has been design to be easy to set up and use for those without professional knowledge,” he said. Kim further revealed that they are trying to lower that entry level by learning from 2D printer concepts. Unlike 3D printers, that need to be manually fed filament almost constantly, 2D printers are almost automatic in use and require far less tinkering. Wouldn’t that be a good approach for 3D printing as well? That is essentially what the 3Dwox DP200 3D printer, already available on Amazon, should be.
What’s more, the 3Dwox DP200 3D printer will also benefit from this new partnership with SolidWorks, as the first 3D printer integrated into the 3D design functionality of SolidWorks software. “Before the 3Dwox, SolidWorks users had to convert their design into a different type of file compatible with certain 3D printers because the device does not support universal computer-aided design (CAD) software,” he explains. But print jobs can be directly sent to the 3Dwox DP200 3D printer through the SolidWorks software, and even monitor 3D printing and filament quantity from the user interface.
Kim further revealed that SolidWorks was a logical partner for increasing their user-friendliness. Sindoh, he revealed, has been using SolidWorks since 1996 and therefore sought out this partnership. “Though the 2D printing sector is the largest income source for us, the market has already been saturated and the world is becoming increasingly paperless after smartphones and tablet computers,” he said. “We have sought for a breakthrough in the 3D printing business.”
To strengthen their presence in the 3D printing market, Kim revealed that Sindoh will focus on developing entry-level consumer 3D printers aimed at US and European markets initially – where the largest potential consumer market can be found. They will then also increase their range to other regions, including China. Price competitiveness and this SolidWorks collaboration will be their main weapons. “We understand that the 3D printer market is already starting to become saturated as major businesses worldwide are making heavy investments in this technology,” Kim said. “But we have strong price competitiveness as we share many common parts for both 2D and 3D printers. We will also upgrade our printers to support cloud-based remote printing functions to make them more convenient to use.”
Posted in 3D Printer
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