Where it all began

There’s a misconception that 3D printing is only a few years old, but its roots stretch back to the 1980s. Yes, there have been countless advancements but this technology is still largely the same as it was back then. I founded Tri-Tech 3D in 2007, but my journey began earlier — and it’s been interesting to see the company and additive technology evolve in tandem. ??

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I was born and raised in Blackpool, my mum was from Blackpool and my dad was from Preston. When I turned 18, I went to Wrexham University and studied 3D design as part of a two-year higher national diploma (HND) course. When I earned my HND, I started working full-time at Milestone Pottery in Wrexham. Most of our work was the kind of stuff you’d find in giftshops at National Trust sites and museums, usually period reproduction pieces made from high-density plaster marketed as reconstituted stone. I was taken on as a soft tool maker and I helped design and create the silicon skin moulds.

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Three years later, I parted ways and started my own company — Perfect World Reproductions. However, I later got married, and we eventually moved to Nottingham, which was when I first became immersed in 3D printing.

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When things took off

I took a full-time position at the IMC at the University of Nottingham. It was an off-campus project, based on Highfields Science Park. They were after someone with experience of silicon tooling and the project was a 50/50 split of people from academia and industry. Its focus was educating SMEs on the various processes and technologies associated with 3D printing. We were running three-day courses that we sold to small businesses — and they were always well-subscribed!

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At the time, the IMC was unique. It had five different industrial 3D printing technologies. It was the only place in Europe at that time with so many different processes under one roof. We had a Stratasys FDM1650, a commercial-grade fused deposition modelling (FDM) system. We also had a Z-Corp machine, two SLA machines an Actua wax-based printer and LOM 1015 Plus. The technologies constructed with various materials such as paper, plastic, resin, wax and gypsum.

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The next step

I worked for IMC for just over three years before leaving to work for a couple of 3D printing companies. These included Sibco, which became EnvisionTEC — the first company to bring digital light processing (DLP) to the market. I also worked for HK, the original UK agent for Objet, helping promote and sell its machines. For the first year, my role was mainly technical, ironing out issues with its machines in the field.

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I left to become a self-employed 3D print engineer installing, servicing and repairing Objet Polyjet systems. As the number of systems under my care grew, I needed extra manpower, I hired an ex-naval engineer that had experience with 3D Printers. Things only grew from there: I rented a unit and changed our status from sole traders to limited. And so, in 2007, Tri-Tech 3D was born.

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To start with, we mainly maintained Polyjet systems on behalf of the manufacturer Objet.

I started to purchase used 3D Printers to renovate and sell. We’d deliver the machine to the customer’s site including startup materials and post-processing equipment. The system would be installed, calibrated, operative trained on use and maintenance and the complete workflow demonstrated. This approach was unique in the used equipment market.

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As time moved on, the market progressed. I wanted to sell new equipment, so I approached Objet. Eventually, we were made a sales partner but limited to entry-level Polyjet systems. Even so, we exceeded our sales targets in the first year of trading. This gave Objet the confidence to trust Tri-Tech with its full product range. Meanwhile, Objet and Stratasys merged, and we were soon selling FDM machines also.

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A coming together

My pain was always in sales. My background was technical and had comfort in my abilities. However, the sales side was always fierce, with many Stratasys resellers competing at the time. Among these was Stanford Marsh, a gold partner of Stratasys. I remember meeting with Adrian Painter, one of Stanford Marsh’s directors, and him explaining how tech was their sticking point. We soon realised that, by joining forces, he could expand my sales capability, and I could boost his technical resources.

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Eventually, Adrian bought my shares, making us one entity. The rest as they said is history. Today, Tri-Tech 3D sits in the Stanford Marsh Group alongside other companies, including Cadspec and 3D Print Bureau — and we haven’t looked back.

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So, what about the future?

Although 3D printers are being advanced with multi-material capabilities and manufacture-grade parts, I see the adoption of 3D printing increasing as new materials and applications are developed. A good example is the TrueDent material developed for full-colour usable dentures. At present, Stratasys is also developing a workflow for producing false eyes.

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I anticipate 3D printing will advance the most in medical fields as everything about us as humans is unique, so solving our medical needs requires unique procedures. Meanwhile, 3D printing applications are becoming more in-depth, meaning it’s important to work with an experienced additive manufacturing (AM) partner who supports both the sales and technical side of things.

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To find out more about Tri-Tech 3D’s AM services and support, visit the company website? https://www.tritech3d.co.uk/

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