In spite of the efforts of the major 3D printing industry companies to grow their empires around the world, there is still much opportunity for regional players to emerge.
One example is Vexma Technologies of Vadodara, in the western state of Gujarat in India. This small company, founded only last year, produces a wide variety of 3D-related services.
Of course this company provides a basic 3D print service; you can upload your CAD model and they’ll print and ship it. But in the case of some regions, 3D expertise may be not as easily found as in the West. Thus, smaller regional service providers often do more than just basic 3D printing.
Vexma provides 3D design and consulting services in addition to basic 3D printing, and specifically addresses the product design market. They explain:
We cater services from aerospace, architecture, automotive, commercial/ consumer products, defense, Dental, education, medical, entertainment industries. Our services can be used in applications for making concept models, functional prototyping, manufacturing tooling, end-use parts, digital manufacturing, finishing, reverse engineering etc.
It’s interesting to note that in Asia where the focus is often on manufacturing products designed elsewhere, there is plenty of room for local design of new products. This is, I think, the strategy of Vexma and similar 3D design companies: capitalize on the growing product development market in the region.
Vexma’s Sharon Patel, a Purdue-educated mechanical engineer, explains that the company has created a lab specifically to focus on IoT product designs within industry:
We have been actively engaged in educating the doctors, engineers and architects of the region on how 3d printing embedded with IOT will path a new way of integrated ecosystem changing how they perceive the future. Our R&D lab, the “Vexma Labs” is currently engaged in the developing new IOT based technologies for the home consumer electronics and Meditech Industries using 3d printing solutions.
3D printing technology can help everyone, everywhere. It just needs to be applied in intelligent ways.
