A 3D printer on every desktop: the key to faster and more efficient iterative design

And, it's not just engineers; product designers, modellers, jewellers and educators, for example, also have ideas and designs that evolve. This is where a stacked, desktop 3D printer system comes in. Quite simply, stackable 3D printers enable you
to test and refine ideas in a way that hasn't been possible in the past using traditional modelling and production processes. 

But what is a stacked system? Essentially, it means connecting several smaller 3D printers instead of using just
one larger machine. The printers are normally placed one on top of the other and files can be sent to each of them using the same interface, through a network or a connected workstation.

Although one 3D printer will
let you see how a model looks and works you still need to wait between prints before you can make any changes. But, with a stacked system, you can set one idea printing while you work on the next,
evolving the design as you go. You can see how different ideas work, compare them side-by-side and see how they can be improved or combined in a way no other manufacturing process can.

Read the full article in the August issue of DPA