Did You Say "Prototypes Out of Paper"?

No, this isn't a late post celebrating Halloween, but it will surprise you. It's actually highlighting a technology that may just help you get into 3D printing, if you have been searching for a method that is not cost-prohibitive.

Late last month I spent four days in Frankfurt, Germany walking the halls of Euromold--the world fair for moldmaking and tooling, design and application development--and one particular technology caught my eye: a low-cost, eco-friendly, 3D printer that builds durable physical models from common letter paper.

Ireland-based Mcor showcased its full-color Mcor IRIS and its monochrome Mcor Matrix 300+ systems, which according to the company are the only 3D printers that create physical models from new or used standard letter paper, whose resulting model is durable. This can be used for the production of prototypes and mold tools.

So although you may have thought I was in Germany sipping Glühwein, strolling through the Christkindlmarkt and chomping on some Brätwurst, I was actually seeking out technology over there that can be useful to shops back home. Stay tuned as I post more information on other technologies, but in the meantime check it out.