Another company has set up a 3D print demonstration center.
Demonstration centers are extremely important for any emerging technology, as they provide a means for prospective buyers to see and touch – and therefore understand – a product before purchasing.
This is critically important for industries where their primary focus is on their product and less on the means of production. In many cases their current manufacturing process has been essentially unchanged for many years, or even many decades. The entire notion of radical change is not even considered.
How does a company selling those radical new products actually make buyers understand the possible benefits of such a change? Telling them is usually not productive, as the words simply won’t “register” with them due to their lack of understanding of the space.
One solution that many 3D printer manufacturers now use is the concept of a demonstration center. I’ve used the same approach to convince people of something new: build a demonstration so they can actually see how it works. Seeing is a far better way to introduce deep understanding than merely a paragraph of words people won’t comprehend.
3D print demonstration centers typically involve a selection of 3D printers and associated equipment that together make up a small, end-to-end production line. Using this approach a prospective customer can see not only the machine, but how it is used, and how other parts of the 3D printing lifecycle take place.
If they’re on the ball they can often put two and two together to conclude that 3D printing is something that could benefit their operations. And of course, the manufacturers representatives are present and able to assist in that regard.
The latest demonstration center being opened is from Union Tech, and their US partner, RP America. They explain:
The RP America lab typically features anywhere from four to six machines from the UnionTech lineup, fully set up for printing, testing and development. The equipment ranges in size from the PILOT 250, with a 10 x 10” platform, to the RSPro 800, with a 32.5 x 32.5” platform. This enables the company to print customer benchmarks using a wide range of platform sizes and materials, as well as welcome customers to the facility for a hands-on demonstration of the machine and software options.
This is important: a demonstration center usually allows the prospect to attempt to 3D print their particular design on the equipment to see how it works. Often this may require use of specific materials.
Setting up a demonstration center is often a costly project, and is usually only justified by the sales of larger-scale equipment, which is the case for Union Tech, whose equipment targets industrial clients.
If you’re considered or even wondering about 3D print technology in your business, by all means contact 3D printer manufacturers to see if you can take a visit to a demonstration center and see for yourself how it could benefit your operations.
Via RP America
