Grow It - Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing

By: Alicia Frye

GROWit prints magical, masterful, pure-awesomeful things every day. In this particular blog series, we highlight some of our Kickstarter customers: the leading innovators of consumer products. Today’s highlighted success? Simply Amplified.

SIMPLY AMPLIFIED

Simply Amplified is a GROWit subsidiary (so you know it’s a great company). Simply Amplified Symphony Shells are custom 3D printed smartphone amplifiers – available on Simply Amplified’s website. The team brought this project to Kickstarter to raise funds to develop fully recyclable, ecofriendly material to make greener products at a more affordable price point.

The best way to learn about this Symphony Shells Kickstarter campaign is to check out the project page itself.

Even if this project isn’t fully funded via Kickstarter, there’s still some awesome news –  you can still get Symphony Shells made in their original material on www.simplyamplified.com for all iPhone 4/4s/5 models.

As of today, this project is 61% backed and we still have a few days to go –we’ve almost made our goal! We’d really love your support in making this materials project happen – both for you and your wallet.

Regardless of the outcome, still be sure and see all Simply Amplified amplifier designs!

By: Alicia Frye

Startups: The MVPs of 3D Printing
Think it. Print it. Sell it.

Startups, do I have your attention?

The MVP, or Minimal Viable Product, is something that is stressed and over again in the startup world (Eric Ries, we thank you for your guidance). Having a proof of concept or even a loose example of your product can be difficult and costly. Yet it’s the tangible example, with moving and working parts, that is often the crucial element to getting any product off the ground.

Now there are two major drawbacks in standard manufacturing:

1)  Upfront Investment
2)  Lead Time

Fortunately, there’s a new game in town: 3D printing (additive manufacturing). Now an inventor/visionary/any individual can quickly develop and manufacture a design without too much upfront investment while continuously updating the design throughout the product development stages.

Now, is 3D printing just for prototyping? Not in the least! 3D printing makes it possible for startup companies to produce prototypes AND end-use products. Need a real-life example? Thanks to a quick Google search, I found one to share[may not a GROWit project, but it’s still a winner]:

In 2011, David Minich started a company called Make Eyewear with a simple vision: glasses frames. For David, it was near impossible to find a pair of frames that catered to his tastes. Not wanting to fall victim to fashion limitations dictating his eyewear, he did something about his little predicament.

Make Eyewear has custom written all over it, offering designer glasses and custom glasses – Freestyle Glasses.

By using 3D printing, Minich and his team are able to put more emphasis on the design process and offer virtually unlimited options. Their user-friendly website even allows any person to design a pair of frames!  As is stated on the Make Eyewear website, “What it all adds up to is a process that consumes minimal energy, produces no waste, and allows for an enormous amount of design freedom.”

From the Minimal Viable Product to End Use Product, 3D printing has us all covered. Here at GROWit, we help great ideas come to life every day. You guys keep on throwing them our way.

Click here to upload your big idea designs for a free quote.

Want your own machine to get business rolling? We do that too! Email sales@GROWit3D.com for more information.