Denver 3D Print Company (D3PC) is an invention lab and prototyping supply store based in Denver, Colorado. D3PC offers a wide array of services to help customers of all types bring their ideas to life. Some of the services they provide include 3D scanning, CAD, product testing, intellectual property development, and product manufacturing. “What makes us different is that we do everything needed to turn a sketch into hundreds of production parts. We also provide intellectual property and mass production services through our various legal and manufacturing partners. Having a one-stop shop reduces risk and saves our clients time and money.” says Adam Zimmer, founder of D3PC.

Aside from their “à la carte invention services,” D3PC is unique in the quality and speed of their low rate manufacturing capabilities. In the past several decades, 3D printing has become a powerful force in mainstream manufacturing processes and is an essential part of product development. It allows designers and inventors to turn an idea into a usable, physical object in hours. As great as it is for prototyping, 3D printing suffers when it comes to manufacturing large numbers of production-quality parts. 3D printing is slow, expensive, doesn’t allow for many product features (i.e. metal over-molding), offers limited material properties, and produces parts that need extensive post-processing.

Silicone molds provide a nexus between 3D printing and injection molding

Denver 3D Print Company (D3PC) solves the problem of in-house part production using a combination of 3D printing, silicone molding, and their patent pending product line called Project Mold. “Silicone Molds provide a nexus between 3D printing and injection molding,” says Zimmer.

“We design a lot of different things,” says Zimmer. “When it comes to producing large numbers of production parts, molding is often the best option. For small batch sizes, we use silicone molding because it’s fast, produces production quality parts, and it’s relatively inexpensive. Silicone molding processes can be messy and difficult, so we developed a product line called Project Mold that allows us to make extremely good molds that make extremely good parts. With 3D printing and Project Mold, we can go from concept to 500 units in just a few days.” Videos of Zimmer himself, in action, using Project Mold to make parts is available on Youtube.

D3PC is a truly unique company with big plans for 2019. They are actively bringing on new team members and incorporating new capabilities to take on more challenging customer projects. They’re preparing to bring Project Mold to the marketplace by partnering with a silicone manufacturer. D3PC also has a prototyping supply store adjacent to their lab that they intend to expand to offer everything from FDM nozzles to SLA resins. “Denver is an innovation hub, we want to send that to the rest of the States.”