i-Scientifica - Pretoria

i-Scientifica has developed a prototype 3D printer, called I AM 3D, which uses an additive manufacturing technique and metal inks to create 3D objects from precious metals, such as gold. This process requires less material than powder bed printers and results in significant savings in both material and labor costs compared to traditional and present manufacturing technologies. The company was established in February 2013 by an individual with a background in mechanical engineering and experience in precious metals.

ForeverBright, a business in the jewelry and watch industry, currently uses CAD design and 3D printing (wax models) as the latest manufacturing technologies. However, investing in metal 3D printers for industry-specific applications requires a large capital outlay due to the  

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expensive machine and material costs.

To make metal 3D printing more accessible to micro and small businesses, i-Scientifica is developing printer software and a printing platform. Additionally, they are procuring high precision hardware parts, as the prototype machine and operating system were constructed with open source software and low precision parts. With its prototype machine and metal inks, i-Scientifica is aiming to create an industry-specific 3D printer that is affordable for micro and small businesses.