A Plug-in that Connects CAD Software to 3D Printer

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

Fried: You've got me at a really good time for vision statements because I was at a fantastic conference down in LA recently, A360, or Abundance 360, where we were showing the printer. The whole spirit of that conference is, what's changing? How quickly is it going to change? Why hasn't anybody got their head around quite how impactful all this is going to be in a much, much shorter time than is really possible to digest? I'll steal their top tips because I think they captured everything. The conference focuses on driving significant change for a better near future. Key topics covered AI and bunched in ubiquitous travel. Travel is rapidly becoming something where, if you own a car, and certainly if you own a gasoline car, possibly as soon as five to 10 years from now, it will not be far from owning a horse. It will be that big of a change. For example, anybody who has kids under 12, will those kids ever actually drive a car?

Feinberg: I totally agree. In fact, I've been writing an article on autonomous driving. I put a brief part in for CES, but I've been writing a much longer one and I include that. I would predict, particularly here in California, because this happens to be a state where they think they know how you should live better than you do, that it won't be that long before major freeways in California will not allow a human being-controlled vehicle.

Fried: Yeah, you'd just mess things up for everybody else.

Feinberg: That's right. The biggest thing that you can't predict, the biggest thing that the computers and the artificial intelligence of the automobile can't predict is what another human being is going to do.

Fried: Right. Using AI as an umbrella term; I think AI in a manufacturing and production context, and I think ultimately also in a product design context also, means that things will change. These far reaching have implications for not just what gets made, how it gets made but of course who makes it; do we or do we leave it to the machines to take care of everything, including us! If you're looking at 3D printing, one begins to see the arrival of machine learning and AI into how printers essentially learn their trade. They can give themselves an apprenticeship. Given the right algorithms and the right sensors, they can learn how to operate themselves—better than a human operator would, and achieve results that will go beyond what one would imagine possible.

Feinberg: In fact, I'm not one that has much of a chance to read for pleasure anymore. I just don't have the time, but I just read a novel that will really get your interest. The name of the novel is Origins.

Fried: I'll make a note.

Feinberg: You won't be able to put it down. When you get through with it, you'll say, "Oh my goodness. This is exactly what's going to happen." It’s really interesting.

Fried: This is what the A360 conference was like. They threw out as examples, travel, so it's autonomous cars, etc., the head of products for Uber, describing the vision/reality of Uber drones—Uber Elevate—and they are going to have them operational within about three or so years. Before you know it, that will be cheaper than driving as well.

Feinberg: Yeah. I mean, the stuff that Nvidia is doing is just absolutely amazing. I would consider them an absolute leader in this, particularly artificial intelligence for autonomous driving. Let me know when this event comes about next year. Good Lord willing, I'll meet you there, because I would like to see this. I'm fascinated by it.

Fried: It's a fantastic conference, and it’s limited it to a max number of people.

Getting back to manufacturing, it has to change, and it's not just industry 4.0. It's not just digitization of files and components and logistical chains, etc. It's getting the tool set to enable the new products or product solutions that current processes don't allow for.

Feinberg: Absolutely. Is there anything else you want to convey to our readers?

Fried:  There is one announcement in addition to the Solidworks plug-in. Most people, of course, won't own our DragonFly 2020 Pro printer. At least not yet!

So, we have launched a printing as a service offering. This means anyone with Solidworks can download our plug-in for free from our website to design truly 3D circuitry. Access to freeform electronics is something that takes some getting your head around as well because you have to unlearn so much before you can design for it. We are open to printing as a service for 3D. So, get ahold of our plug in, work in Solidworks, and the file will transfer very readily.

Feinberg: They could transfer it. Even if they don't have a printer, they would be able to transfer it to your printer.

Fried: Exactly. It's how 3D printing really got a turbo boost when it was introduced to the market back in '04 - ‘06, where you have to see things first. Also, not everybody is going to need to buy a printer, but they may very well want to design parts in 3D that they couldn't make any other way. The scale of this is something that will grow as more systems come online. The bottom line is: We're open!

Feinberg: I can see where other companies may do that and set up manufacturing hubs where people could log in and say, "Here, print."

Fried: For sure. I'd imagine down the road we'd be more than happy to see anybody who has a printer participate in that sort of production ecosystem.

Feinberg: Yeah, it could be a hub with printers all over the place, and it doesn't matter. Maybe it gets printed by artificial intelligence choosing the place that's closest to your location.

Fried: If we can throw in drone delivery, I think then we're done. But joking aside, the flexibility that 3D printing contributes is only enhanced by printing as a service. Today’s distributed prototyping is tomorrow’s distributed manufacturing.

Feinberg: There you go. It's amazing what's coming. One quick question, I know that you talked about a facility here in California. What are you going to be doing here? Anything you can discuss regarding that?

Fried: Yes, essentially, we'll be doing sales and service, but we'll also be offering print as well. That may take a bit more time to spin up because it's early days for the facility, but we'll also be printing. We'll certainly be engaging with the Silicon Valley community when it comes to specific applications, and then obviously a visitor center as well, to which I'll be sure to invite you once the paint has dried.

Feinberg: We'd very much like to cover your opening. Please, as you have been doing, keep me informed. Thank you so much for taking the time. I know you're busy, and we've got quite a bit of interesting information here.

Fried: Thank you, Dan. 

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