Print News | Packaging News | Wide Format news | Print | i-grafix | Australia, New Zealand and Asia Print and Packaging news from Australia, New Zealand and AsiaIan Gibson, professor of industrial design at Australia’s Deakin University, says 3D printing could be useful for packaging technologists – and now is the time to explore options before competitors do.
Costs are down and awareness is up for 3D printing in Australia – the next step is figuring out how best to use it. Gibson says packagers have been involved in the development of 3D printing in various stages of the technology for the last 20 years or more, and while it may not suit every packager, in some areas it has the capability to shave down costs or open up new possibilities.
Ian Gibson, professor of industrial design at Australia’s Deakin University
Packagers who are dealing with changing product lines, or would like to be able to offer more flexibility, are one group that stand to benefit, he says. Creating molds is a common application for the technology – whether for forming paper slurry into packaging shapes or easily including small holes in the mold to allow for vacuum forming for blister packs.
Complex shapes and custom parts is also a specialty of 3D printing, especially in lower volumes where it is not cost-effective to have traditional tools made. Here, Gibson says the technology really comes into its own when combined with conventional gear in a hybrid approach – using 3D to make the tricky bits and existing technology for the standard parts.
“It is better to think of 3D printing as a complement to your existing technology rather than a replacement. 3D printing works best where you require complexity. It is good at complex geometries, complex shapes and customisation. You can work it in conjunction with other machines and see how it enhances your product.
One example is in the hearing aid industry, where some suppliers are making the casings for in-ear hearing aids to suit the shape of the ear of an individual user. The 3D-printed casing is customised, with the standard electronics and battery inside, so you can add value there.
“This situation could apply for some packages – building the package to conform to the shape of the product. If a brand is developing products which are low volume or customised, 3D printing can create the packaging to match. This is where 3D printing scores – you can build things in small numbers.”
Companies working on relatively high-value packaging solutions, such as in the cosmetics industry where a lot of time and effort is spent on aesthetics, could also stand to gain, he says.
However, the technology really comes into its own in the development and prototyping of new packaging solutions – particularly where designers and technologists are willing to be brave, experiment and fail fast.
Collcap Packing in the UK is using 3D printing to prototype cosmetics packaging for its international perfumery and cosmetics suppliers. It uses a transparent material called Objet VeroClear to simulate glass and PMMA, allowing it to place transparent replicas in the hands of customers only a few hours after their initial design
Gibson says, “Really 3D printing is a tool for innovation. You need to have people who are willing to reject the standard and look at new ideas and new concepts, and try and explore alternative solutions.
“Now there are a lot of companies buying the technology without necessarily really knowing how they will use it, but are looking to test it out and try to innovate. They know that if they don’t then other companies will, and they’ll lose ground as a result. You can go backwards by not going forwards.
“If your company is happy doing what you’re doing, and you think you’re going to have business for the way you’ve always done it, then fine – it is not a tool for you. But if you feel you want to expand and explore new markets, then it is a good tool for that.”
The technology, fast developing but still in its nascent phase, has its hang ups. Most machines on the market are limited in the physical dimensions they can manage, says Gibson; the majority are in the region of 300mm cubed, though there are bigger, more industrial machines on the market.
The marketplace is also flooded with low-end entry level machines which have relatively poor accuracy and can be quite slow – Gibson says such machines have been creating misconceptions about the technology; and there are more industrially sound and precise machines available which would be suitable for packaging applications.
In response to curiosity about the technology, 3D printing centres are springing up across the country where interested parties are able to learn about the technology and commission projects on high end industrial machines.
Gibson says packagers stand only to gain from visiting studios like these, talking seriously to vendors, or investing in the technology and getting involved. He says, “Now that the costs of 3D printing have come down dramatically, it has broadened the range of applications in a big way. It’s shaping up to disrupt manufacturing in Australia, and there are some definite niche areas where it could be suitable for rethinking our approaches to packaging.”
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