democratising manufacturing

Last week, a news agency reported that employees of a design company in Taiwan were riding a bicycle on the streets of Taipei, turning abandoned plastic cups and bottles into works of art with a regular bicycle with water pumps, wires, tubes, display panels and 3D printers.
The whole rig is called a Mobile Fab, cutting the plastic into strips before grinding it into powder, and the powder is then fed into a 3D printer at the front of the bike, using it as \"ink \", create a small medal that they connect to the colored lights.
The medal can be worn in any way anyone likes, but was originally designed to connect to the spokes of the bicycle wheel.
3D printing technology has come a long way since its first invention in late 1980 and early 1990.
It is called additive manufacturing and was originally used to allow the manufacturer to create, test and inspect an object more carefully before producing the finished product.
The credit for the early work of this technology goes to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
And a company called 3D Systems.
Since then, the technology has evolved in many ways, from the level of detail that the machine can print to the amount of time it takes to clean and complete the object when it is finished.
The current printing press ranges from the size of the microwave oven to the size of the car, and the process is getting faster and faster, the materials and equipment are getting cheaper and the materials used are getting more and more, including metals and ceramics.
There are different types of 3D printing technology.
Syringe extrusion is a way to allow users to print specific foods such as chocolate, icing and cheese.
Stereo printing (SLA)
Works by focusing a bunch of UV focusing on the surface of a large bucket filled with liquid light-cured resin, while the poly-beam photo polymer allows for the integration of various materials and colors into a single print with high resolution
The technology will certainly change the rules of the game in many ways, as it can print parts and the entire product instantly anywhere in the world.
\"3D printing can help small and medium-sized enterprises achieve huge growth,\" said Owen Poh, general manager of 3D printer Sdn Bhd . \".
Poh\'s company is one of the leading distributors of 3D printers in Malaysia and an advocate for new 3D printersage technology.
\"Imagine being able to prototype and make changes before meeting with angel investors, only a fraction of the cost of the process needs to be paid.
\"SMEs can now take the risk of creating designs without a heavy investment burden,\" explains Poh . \".
\"3D printing also cuts the time it takes to develop.
Depending on the complexity of the product, it takes only two hours and 30 minutes to print a product weighing 35 grams, \"said Poh.
According to Poh, who started distributing machines and materials two years ago, 3D printing has certainly made great progress in Malaysia.
Poh said that during the show, only one of the 1,000 visitors really understood the concept of 3D printing, but with the launch of the company\'s new Discovery Center, he hopes to educate more students and business owners on technology.
\"We launched our discovery center in Strand at Kota Damansara to show the benefits of 3D printing to students and SME business owners.
\"They can learn more about 3D printing and how it will help them,\" said Poh . \". As the eco-
Poh expects to grow his business by 100%.
The demand for working prototypes has become a basic requirement for investors financing small and medium-sized enterprises.
With this in mind, another Malaysian company, Make Space, has set up stores to help students and business owners complete their projects.
Founded by four budding entrepreneurs
Hakim Albasrawy, Sky chewing, Wei Joffres Liyuan and Carl-
Make Space think of itself as a \"gym\" for creative projects and use 3D printing as one of its services.
\"Entrepreneurs in the past had to work in a bedroom or basement if they had an idea that they wanted to make life vivid.
\"Now, they have a space with all the items they need to carry out the project,\" said Hakim . \" He added that 3D printing helps to start --ups cut costs.
\"It is said that failure will make you learn, but sometimes it will be expensive to fail,\" Hakim added . \".
\"For example, if you are a jewelry designer and you want your customers to see the look of the jewelry on them, you can make samples with a 3D printer at a fraction of the cost.
\"Once your customer is satisfied with the look and feel of the sample, you can start making the real sample.
This will save time and money, \"Chew added.
According to the lads at Make Space, 3D printing provides an opportunity for most SMEs
Start their business.
For those who don\'t have any funding, 3D printing enables them to create a working prototype at the lowest cost.
While 3D printing is not yet able to produce products in batches quickly, it enables people to customize products according to their own needs.
For many businesses, 3D printing will change the rules of the game and open the possibility for people with ideas.
It might even start a family life.
With the expansion of technology applications and the decline in prices, some things are produced horizontally.
This may also mean the end of the Chinese public.
The manufacturing model makes it an economic powerhouse by eliminating Transportation and inventory.
The technology provides a promise that it has barely been used in Malaysia and could change the way computers change communication.
After all, it has been said that there are only four computers in the world.