Forget thermoplastics — Mcor says the future of 3D printing is in paper

04-23-2013 • http://venturebeat.com, Ricardo Bilton

Unlike the plastics-based printers of companies like Makerbot and 3D Systems, Mcor’s Iris printer creates 3D objects with layers of paper.

Mcor CEO Conor MacCormack says using paper gives the Iris a number of advantages over other printers, the most obvious of which is that the Iris can print out some impressively colorful 3D objects.

“Because we use paper and a water-based adhesive, the color that you have on the screen is very close to the color of the printed parts. And that’s unique,” MacCormack told me.

And he’s right: While plastics-based printers create some impressive objects, they’re not particularly comprehensive on the color-font, to say the least.

The other, perhaps more surprising, thing is that the Iris’s creations really don’t feel like they’re made of paper. There’s a significant weight to them, and they often feel like they’re made of something like sandstone.

1 Comments in Response to Forget thermoplastics — Mcor says the future of 3D printing is in paper

Comment by PureTrust

Entered on: 4/24/2013 2:28:49 AM

This is good. Google "paper making technology." By adding materials to paper, paper can be made strong as steel, or soft as compactly-grown hemp (much softer than cotton).

Consider making guns and ammo out of paper, right from your very own 3D printer.

This opens the way to using all kinds of other materials besides plastics for 3D printing. Imagine printing you own car parts... or maybe the whole car! The list of things you can 3D print might become endless.

Good-bye big manufacturing plants.

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