3D PRINTING-A LOOK AT KENYA

2012 was an interesting year. It’s the year that saw the Daily Beast(Newsweek) put their last print edition and embrace digital issues fully, the Higgs Boson/field ‘discovered’, London hosted the Olympics again and TIME magazine listed 3D printing(Makerbots Replicator) among the best inventions of 2012.

3D printing is becoming a consumer product and is widely being embraced. Among those leading Kenya in adopting this ‘new’ technology are some enterprising Kenyans(offices located in Westlands, at the junction of Mpaka road and Parklands road. Opposite Fedha plaza inside the Mayfair apartments suit 4) who have seen the trend and have already brought 3D printers to Kenyan shores. The team deals with 3D printers called UP, from a company Delta Micro Factory Corporation , a Chinese firm that is establishing a name for itself in the 3D printing world. The same UP printers which are sold under the brand name of AFINIA in the USA ,won awards in Best overall experience, easiest setup and ease of use categories in a ‘competition’ pitting 15, 3D printers from different manufactures carried out by MAKE.The company sells the products at a fair cost (120,000Ksh-190,000Ksh) considering the logistics of bringing them to Kenya and support they offer to buyers.

 Now that they are here and more will be coming from other suppliers as  interest in the technology increases, the next logical question would be what can they do for a consumer/client/customer? To answer this question we will look at some of the uses 3D printing technology is being used for in other parts of the world. A company by the name Organovo is utilising 3D printers to print human tissue (bioprinting), a development that may see us printing human organs in the near future. That Autodesk (a leading supplier of CAD/3D software products who have also partnered with Makerbot among many other firms) entered a partnership with them to create software that will design and print living tissue just goes to show how this technology will be revolutionary.

Just recently a UK based firm that makes dolls created an app available in the appstore that enables users to create customized dolls and have them printed and delivered to where they wish.3D printing is also being used to create custom jewellery, guns (this will need controlling), prototyping (e.g. at Reebok), 3D replica creation in Museums as Dr. Louise Leakey is doing through through the site AfricanFossils.org , and ideas are being floated on how to use/integrate this technology in classrooms to enhance the learning experience-check out Nairobi University's Fablab.(Fablab also offers 3D printing services to the public-billed per hour at sh 2000 according to Mr Abwao)

Local 3D Artists/CG artists have an opportunity to make money in this new development. They can offer their skills to potential customers e.g. to create a model for a customer who lacks the knowhow, edit CAD files for clients and prepare them for 3D printing, Make cool stuff and print them for retail in the local gift shops/supermarkets e.g. KICC souvenirs/memorabilia for tourists, Museum artifacts models e.t.c.The soft copy 3D models may also be sold online. In addition the CG artists will also be crucial in offering training.

3D printer render

The applications of 3D printing are too many to tackle in this article but what is clear is that Kenya needs to step up and join the world in putting 3D printing to use. Maybe we can start by integrating open source 3D software into the solar powered laptops that will be distributed to every school age child in Kenya. Secondary schools may also be encouraged to start 3D clubs whereby students will get to know the basics of 3D early hence be able to integrate it into their field of specialization when they go to university. So mboss anza kazi…..You are the industry!

Kenyan in 3D4D Challenge

              In the last few years there has been a renewed interest in  a technology that was previously limited only to large industrial manufactures , military and the likes.3D  printing as it is commonly referred to is the process of creating items/objects by printing them out from a digital 3D model.This process basically entails buying a 3D model or creating a 3D model of an item (on a computer system using appropriate software such as Autodesk’s AutoCAD or the open source Blender 3D) you wish to have.This model is then saved in an appropriate format such as a .STL file.Lastly the file is printed using a special kind of printer that ‘prints ‘ out the object in a method commonly referred to as ‘additive manufacturing.’You can then do whatever you wish with your finished product.The potential ‘consumer 3D printing’ holds for the future is quite bright and there’s no telling how it will revolutionize the world.

            As expected several organizations are trying to find novel use for the above technology one of them being Techfortrade through 3D for Development Challenge.

            The 3D4D Challenge  is an international competition launched by London based technology charity, techfortrade that aims to unearth new ground-breaking ideas that exploit developments in 3D printing, mobile phone based scanning technology and web based design applications to improve the incomes and livelihoods of people in developing countries.The event will this year, be held in London, at The Brewery on the Friday 19^th October 2012.

Roy Ombatti, a Kenyan and Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Nairobi is one of the finalists after pushing the idea of printing shoes to help combat jiggers in Kenya.Winners will be awarded a 100,000 dollars to enable them implement their entry.Visitors at the event will be allowed to vote for their favorite idea and their votes will factor in the judges final decision so should you find yourself there VOTE TEAM KENYA!!...

As you see 3D printing is one of the technologies that will greatly impact the future just like mobile phones have done.What would you do with a 3D printer if you had one??

3D4D Challenge update(posted on 25/10/2012)

The 3D4D challenge came to pass and unfortunately for us(The people who were for Roy Ombatti's idea) we lost.The winner and each of the two runners up(see the list below) received a 3D printed trophy, designed and produced by Challenge sponsor, Econolyst. The winner was also presented with a 3D printing machine from MakerBot, who also sponsored the competition.

The 3D4D challenge trophy

 
1st place- WOOF(Washington Open Object Fabricators) A team made up of students across all disciplines from the University of Washington.Their idea mainly involves recycling plastic by using it as a raw material for 3D printing.

2nd place- Fripp Design-whose project involves using 3D printing technology in the rapid manufacture of soft tissue prostheses

3rd place-J. F. Brandon-whose idea involves using 3D printing for creating  a solar tracker(a device which follows the movement of the sun as it rotates from the east to the west every day.Solar Trackers are used to keep solar collectors/solar panels oriented directly towards the sun as it moves through the sky every day) that is easier to manufacture than existing models,cheaper and more efficient.