So, even if 3D printers don’t wind up in every home across the world, I believe they’re likely to pop up, along with hackerspaces and service bureaus, in most mid- to large-sized towns and cities. At least, judging from Lafayette, Louisiana’s IdeaZoo, which has been using digital fabrication to enhance their local community.
IdeaZoo was born from the collaboration between co-owners Jacques Dugal and Josh Williams. The duo graduated with degrees in Industrial Design from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Dugal has worked with digital fabrication for the past seven years. And because Williams also has a background in industrial design, the two easily started working together, building gadgets at IdeaZoo over a year ago. Since forming the company, they’ve moved into a larger studio where they’ve aided the immediate community with 3D printing, CNC milling, and laser cutting.
At the moment, Dugal and Williams are working with a local music shop, Dugal says, “We’re working with Element Instruments, designing customizable drum components.” Just beginning, IdeaZoo has only printed a drum key using one of many 3D printers, but, the owner of Element Instruments, Matthew Amy wants to continue working with them, “The goal is to combine my engineering knowledge with advanced manufacturing and design know-how, which I find at IdeaZoo, to give back as much innovation and inspiration to the music community as our musicians give to us.”
IdeaZoo is also in the process of aiding the local Lafayette Science Museum by designing globes with 3D printed maps of the night’s sky to teach astronomy to the visually impaired. The duo is also working on a prototype prosthetic hand to potentially be outfitted for a local of LaFayette. The company has also worked with those in the oil and healthcare fields in the area.
Dugal tells The Advertiser that he doesn’t see 3D printers in every home, but does see the technology as filling a niche, saying, “It allows for a type of manufacturing that doesn’t really exist up until now: rapid manufacturing of custom items. Companies might need a bunch of similar items that are slightly different.” Given the current level of skill, or perhaps patience, usually both, needed to operate 3D printers, it may be that Dugal is right in suggesting that 3D printers may not become common household appliances. At the very least, though, his company testifies to the valuable service that they are increasingly providing to local communities.
Source: KATC.com
