The Trade Group recently added a state-of-the-art 3-D Printer to its arsenal of high-tech tools, and as you might imagine. it hasn’t been sitting idle. “I’m pretty sure I’ve used it every day since we’ve had it up and running,” says Production Manager Mike Latva.

And Latva isn’t alone. From production to graphic design to sales, several departments at The Trade Group will take advantage of the new printer to stretch their creativity, test out new concepts and enhance how they present ideas to customers and prospects.

FROM LARGE FORMAT 3-D GRAPHICS, TO SMALL, PRECISE OBJECTS

According to Graphics Project Manager Bryan Beamon, the 3-D printer will allow graphic designers and the production team to extend their 3-D capabilities from Large Format applications to small.

As Beamon explains, “We’ve had the capability to create large format, 3-dimensional graphics for some time, thanks to our Vutek QS2 Pro UV Flatbed printer and CNC digital finishing system.“

The Vutek-CNC system process uses subtractive modeling and is ideal for creating large, multi-dimensional graphic and structural elements for trade show exhibits, signage, retail applications and other branded spaces.

“On the other hand, the 3-D printer is an additive printer, which creates small and precise objects. It can provide a rapid visualization of promotional items, extrusions, brackets and even system grooves you would insert fabric into,” Beamon says.

3-D PRINTERS ARE IDEAL FOR FINE TUNING DESIGN CONCEPTS

Latva has already used the 3-D printer to flesh out a number of design ideas. As he explains, “I’ve been working on extrusion designs for a variety of projects recently, including a large client kiosk project. The 3-D printer really helped during the design process, especially when it came to the ‘touch and feel’ aspect.”

Through a trial and error period, Latva enlisted many different sets of eyes to weigh in on various iterations of the extrusions. “With feedback from the team, I was able to implement improvements to the design before the actual product was made,” says Latva.

While object size is limited to 11”x14”x9” dimensions or less, there is no cap on the creativity the 3-D printer allows graphic designers, exhibit builders and the sales team.

With the 3-D printer, you can bring an idea to life as a tactile, 3-D object for an endless number of applications. Along with creating prototypes of exhibit components – i.e., Latva’s kiosk extrusions – the team has created unique trade show promotional products and concepts for product displays. This allows the customer to get a better visual of the product and make adjustments before signing off on the final design.

3-D MODELS OFFER CUSTOMERS A BETTER VIEW

Chris Stone, President of The Trade Group, is also tapping the 3-D printer to enhance sales and design plan presentations.

“With this new technology, we can take a digital rendering and create a 3-D model of the exhibit (or just about any other application) for the customer to consider. This allows the client to get a better look at the floor plan and where any graphics, product displays, A/V equipment, interactive experiences and other features would be placed.” Stone says.

Latva also envisions using the 3-D printer to enhance trade show exhibit construction in the future. As he explains, “Along with giving customers a better idea of how different components look, I see us developing new hardware and unique fasteners that will set us apart from the rest of the pack. It really has opened up a whole new process for considering new and different ideas.”

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