User:Samthetechie/3D copyshop

A 3D Copy Shop is a service provider which specialises in the reproduction of physical objects by 3d scanning followed by 3d printing. In addition to scanning objects, 3d models can also be obtained by downloading them from online collections of Physibles which can be found on websites like the Pirate Bay or on Thingiverse. Copy shops provide scanning and printing of solid plastic objects. Where customers traditionally helped themselves in 2D copyshops, there is normally a printing technician to assist with 3D printing and scanning.

3D Printing

The solid plastic objects can be printed with a wide variety of plastics but are most commonly made in thermoplastics such as Polylactic Acid (PLA), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), High-impact Polystyrene (HIPS) or High-density Polyethylene (HDPE). Today, in addition to single colour prints, state of the art 3d printers can print in full colour by mixing red, green and blue fillament.

Additional Services

Additional services in 3d copy shops are commonly 3d object scanning, 3d face scanning and custom 3d modelling. Once an object has been scanned, the resulting 3d models can be written to a CD, USB key, sent as an e-mail or printed.

Online 3D Printshops

Meanwhile, there are also more and more copy shops that offer their services via the Internet. For this, the order information and the files to be printed are transmitted via e-mail to the copy shop where they can be printed by a 3d printing technician. The finished "copies" can then be picked up without waiting in the copy shop or delivered by parcel service.