3D Printing

New Orleans Newest 3D Print Shop Think.Print3D Offers Medical and Dental RP, Among Other Things

It may be awhile until 3D print shops are as common as Starbucks, but for an industry that some dismiss as a fad, a lot of small 3D print shops sure do seem to be popping up lately.

think.print3d owners 3d printingThe latest is New Orleans Think.Print3D, and while they aren’t New Orleans first 3D print shop it says a lot about the health of the industry that there seems to be room for more than one. And they are certainly trying to set themselves apart by offering printing services on not one but three high quality 3D printers. Between their Fortus 400mc and their Eden260v they should be able to cover just about any rapid prototyping need that local businesses and engineers may require. They also have a MakerBot Replicator 2X and Think.Print3D is also an official MakerBot reseller.

Additionally, they offer 3D scanning services with their 3D Systems Sense 3D Scanner and they have multiple Solidworks licenses for both in-house and public use. The company is also considering a trial program that would sell access to Solidworks to local engineers, makers, artists and craftsmen throughout the city.

Here’s a timelapse video of one of their engineers printing a Fleur De Lis:

Think.Print3D FleurDeLis 3D printing

While talking to CEO of Think.Print3D, Ricky Twiggs Jr, he seemed quite passionate about 3D printing and the role that it can play in our lives. Especially in medical and dental applications, and of course his Eden260v is the perfect machine for medical and dental 3D printing. But he seems quite keen to not limit himself or the company that he founded. That flexibility in services is what sets apart successful 3D printing operations and 3D printing operations that struggle to find a market.

Starting any new business is risky, but starting a business dependent on the continued adoption of emergent technology takes on another layer of risk entirely. Not only do you have to worry about everything else that new businesses have to worry about — lengthy leases, difficulties reaching your customer base and hiring quality employees and so on. But when your business requires you to heavily invest in technology that could very well be out of date in six months you really have to believe very strongly in your vision. Not to mention all of the legal and political issues that 3D printing is just starting to stir up. The laws that will eventually govern our industry haven’t even been conceived yet, much less written. Legally speaking, 3D printing is like the wild west right now. 3D printing pioneers need to be smart and flexible and be willing to change direction quickly if the industry takes an unexpected turn, because you never know when bandits are going to try to hijack the train.

You can learn more about Think.Print3D on their Facebook page or connect with them out on Twitter.

Source: Think.Print3D

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