3D printing 'Factory of the Future' launched

Image © Shapeways

Image © Shapeways

3D printing is changing the way creatives can make their designs and ideas a reality, and it's taken another big leap forward, with 3D printing marketplace and community Shapeways cutting the ribbon on its new 'Factory of the Future'.

Based in New York and billed to be the world's largest 3D printing factory, it will house 30 to 50 high definition, industrial-sized 3D printers, each capable of producing more than 100 products a day and three to five million products a year.

Shapeways' director of industrial engineering Kegan Fisher comments on its website: "We are building a factory that gives everyone the ability to create, where the only barrier to entry is imagination."

We are building a factory where the only barrier to entry is imagination

The 3D printing facility will have more than 50 engineers, craftsmen, 3D printing specialists, and industrial designers to ensure everything runs smoothly. Staff will be "fine-tuning and tweaking a Willy Wonka-esque system in which pixels go in and objects come out," says Fisher.

Currently still under construction, the factory is due to be finished and filled with 3D printers around January 2013.

Like this? Read these:

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.