VITAL STATISTICS
Name Callprint
Location 18 locations in the UK plus operations in Dubai and India
Inspection host Paul D’Rozario, managed services director
Size Turnover: £13m; Staff: 190
Established In 1992 as a traditional printing and reprographics company. In 2005 it added 3D printing capabilities to its portfolio
Products Concept modelling, master planning, presentation models and product prototyping on the 3D side. Exhibition and point-of-sale materials, banners, brochures, stationery and a range of other reprographics work and digital printing on the 2D side
Kit ColorJet printers for its 3D work. For the non-3D print work it runs everything from super-wide format kit through to high-end digital presses, a range of finishing devices and a Cruse flatbed scanner
Inspection focus Adding 3D printing to an established traditional print firm
The challenge
In a world that has become oversaturated with visually and conceptually awe-inspiring technological breakthroughs, many of us are becoming increasingly hard to impress. But seeing 3D printing happening live still has a certain ‘wow factor’.
There has been more media coverage and anticipation about how it will change the world in the past few years than ever before in its 30-year history. And although this exciting technology has grown hugely in the past few years and continues to take strides forward as each year passes, branching out into 3D printing might still be a step too far for most firms to consider.
Callprint made the bold move into 3D printing 10 years ago and it hasn’t looked back since. The business was established over 20 years ago as a traditional commercial print and reprographics company and now has 18 bases across the UK as well as operations in Dubai and India.
It was inevitable perhaps that the first few years wouldn’t be easy, and indeed they presented a number of challenges to Callprint, as the firm’s managed services director Paul D’Rozario explains: “Our biggest challenge in the early days was finding an application for the technology. While everyone was excited about it, trying to find real-world applications for 3D printing among our varied client base was tough.
“It took a lot of research, meetings and time to find clients that were actually going to use the technology to the extent where we could make it commercially viable.”
The company tested the waters by investing in one machine to begin with and fully learning how to use it and understanding what the technology could do. It now has a large service with numerous machines operating across the business.
The method
The firm picked ColorJet as one of the technologies that it wanted to use as its clients were asking for colourful models and parts that could be produced quickly and affordably.
“ColorJet printing is the fastest technology on the market bar none,” says D’Rozario. “The ColorJet printers that we use are the only full colour 3D printers. We use different machines and models that have different benefits. Some offer speed, colour and cost while others are for functional testing so we can use stronger, robust models as well.”
Producing a 3D model itself is a complex process that requires technical expertise, explains D’Rozario. “We take a digital CAD file, a file that has been designed in 3D, and we process it and then analyse it to see if we need to optimise it or prepare it for 3D printing. Once we have a file that is ready for 3D printing, we process it through our software, which takes that CAD file and splits it into hundreds or thousands of individual layers.”
He adds: “The ColorJet machines spray clear or colour binder through standard printheads onto a very fine plaster-based powder. We then drag a very fine layer powder over the top of where we just sprayed binder and that process repeats itself over and over again, layer by layer. The binder is only deposited where it is needed and all of the powder around that remains loose. At the end of the print process we vacuum that loose powder out and away from the part.”
The firm’s 3D experts often have to convert data from a file into something usable before the production process can begin. “The files and data that we get sent often need work. We have a team of specialists who are able to take a file, optimise it, repair it possibly and get it to a position where it can be 3D printed,” explains D’Rozario.
He adds that having the right people on board to be able to carry out this work has been crucial. “We’ve invested in people with the technical expertise to be able to take data from clients in different industries and for different design applications and manipulate and optimise it where required to be able to produce a physical model for them.”
The lion’s share of Callprint’s 3D business comes from the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, which the firm says is the market that it’s strongest in and where much of its 2D work also comes from. Businesses in the industry use 3D printing to communicate their designs and ideas to clients, to show form or context or to use as an aid during a discussion.
“We create concept models, master planning models and programming models for engineers. We also do functional testing and product design. We create figurines or parts that are a physical representation of what a part will look and feel like,” explains D’Rozario.
Promoting the service in the right way has been key to Callprint’s success and it has trained its sales team to ensure that they are able to sell the benefits of the technology to the firm’s clients.
“We do a fair bit of marketing for the service and we’ve found that you can spread the word a lot better by picking a few select shows to go to with the right audience rather than sending out a bulk load of emails,” says D’Rozario.
The result
With a decade of experience now behind Callprint in the field, the firm has found that its 3D print service has only continued to grow, even during the recession.
It has recently launched its 3D operation at its Dubai base, which it has operated from for three years, and the move has proved an instant success.
“We’ve continued to invest and look at the ways we can expand our 3D division. It’s seen massive growth in terms of sales and opportunities over the past five years and I can only see it going one way. It’s brought us new clients and opened up new markets that we weren’t talking to previously,” says D’Rozario.
“What we’re most proud of is that the types of clients that we serve are leaders in their industries. We provide an integral service to these guys and are part of their design processes and delivering their projects,” he adds.
The firm says that running a successful 3D print service has shown people that Callprint is more than a traditional print company. “I think where we differentiate ourselves from our competitors is that we are constantly assessing emerging technologies, whether it be 2D, 3D or whatever else is around the corner,” says D’Rozario.
As the technology gets better and cheaper and the market grows, the competition will inevitably get stronger. But D’Rozario hopes that Callprint will be in a prime position to capitalise on the growth with its head start in the market.
“More people will get into 3D printing, but the awareness and opportunity out there should grow as well. I think the biggest competition out there at the moment is people investing in their own technology,” says D’Rozario. But the firm is also in a prime position to supply the equipment to those wanting a 3D printer in-house. “We sell and place machines as well as offering a bureau service,” he adds.
D’Rozario feels that there’s an opportunity for most print firms in 3D printing, as long as it suits the markets that they serve. “If people are willing to commit the time, the resources and the money then I think it could be right for anyone. The AEC, design and creative industries are going to be all over 3D printing and if that’s your client base, I don’t think you should be ignoring it right now,” he says.
Overall, the move into 3D print has paid great dividends for Callprint, and the firm says that it will continue to diversify and make continued investments in the technology in the future.
“We all had the vision to understand that this was something that was going to change the world that we live in. That’s why we made the investment and have committed the time to get where we are today. It’s boosted turnover and been a huge success,” D’Rozario concludes.
DO IT YOURSELF
- Research the market to ensure you pick the right technology to suit your company. There are several different 3D print technologies available that are all used for different applications. Take the time to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each.
- Look at your current client base and the markets you serve or are targeting to see if 3D printing would fit. If you are dealing with design or creative companies then there is a potential opportunity. “If you specialise in certain markets, such as the financial industry, there probably won’t be much need for 3D printing,” says D’Rozario.
- Get in as soon as possible to build a name for yourself before the market becomes saturated. “It’s a competitive market which is only going to get more competitive,” says D’Rozario.
- Be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort. “3D printing is a different beast to 2D printing,” he notes. “You’ve got to have a commitment to it as there’s going to be a lot more learning and educating.”
- Hire the right people. You will likely need in-house experts that understand exactly how to use and get the best out of the process. Train your sales staff so they can sell the benefits to clients.
- Be aware of the confusion that exists in the marketplace. Many people don’t fully understand how they could best benefit from the process. “I don’t think people realise that there are numerous technologies on the market or which technologies are right for their application,” says
- D’Rozario.
- Market the service in the right way. Sending out mass emails to existing clients is unlikely to have much of an impact. Demonstra-ting it at trade shows in front of the right audience is more effective, especially taking into account the visual ‘wow factor’ of the technology.
