When we speak with “venture retailers”, who have already made the jump into personalized fabrication and opened a 3D print shop, two of the first issues that arise are: “3D printing education is strategic on so many levels for children and students of all ages” and “3D printers should be more portable”.
Tridi Mx, a Mexican start-up based in Querétaro, a little bit north of México City, united both concepts and established itself as the first commercial mobile 3D printing centre.
As co-founder Rodolfo Guitierrez told 3dpi.com, the company’s mission is “to bring 3D printing to the masses.” The three people team (along with Gutierrez, Tridi Mx is made up of Ana K. Park and Sebas Romo) use the mobile cart to go to schools, shows and shopping centres. The cart includes two MakerBot Replicators with different colour filaments and a 3D scanner for physical photography (i.e. 3D printing personal miniatures). Everywhere the cart goes it capture the crowd’s attention with personalized items and toys.
Mexico is shaping up to be quite e receptive country for 3D printing. After all it is the Nation where one of the richest men in the World built his fortune on telecommunication and networking technology (which is key to 3D printing’s “create globally and fabricate locally” mantra) and one of the very first 3D print “fixed” shop, Ideaz 3D, has encountered enormous enthusiasm. The key to unlocking the market’s potential here – as in most places – seems to be to show people how 3D printing works and what it can actually do. And if the masses won’t go to 3D printing by themselves, Tridi Mx will take it to them.
