Digital Fabrication
Digital fabrication is the process of utilizing computer controlled machinery to produce objects from digital files. At Idea Zoo, we specialize in combining 3D Printing and Laser Cutting to produce many different types of products that are primarily composed of plastics and wood.
3D Printing is the Additive Manufacturing process of extruding different types of plastic guided by a comptuer controlled device. Using our industrial quality printers, our digital fabricators can create physical parts from your CAD files. With an array of materials, and endless possibilities of shapes and geometry, this process lends itself perfectly to prototyping and development. 3D printing has no "tooling" cost and is able to rapidly produce any shape or form, including shapes that traditional plastic maufacturing cannot. At a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, and the rapid speed of the process, 3D printing is the best choice for your prototyping and small-run manufacturing needs.
Laser Cutting is the process of using an industrial grade laser, attached to a CNC control system, to cut, etch, or engrave flat sheet material. With the ability to cut woods and plastics up to 3/8 inch thick, and a cutting platform that is five feet wide by any length, this process has numerous Architectural, Engineering and Interior Design applications.
3D Scanning is a process where data is collected from real-world objects to create computer generated replicas. Through a process called Photogrammetry, we are able to conduct non-contact passive scanning. This allows us to replicate any real world object without altering or damaging the object. This process is great for part replication and reverse engineering, orthotics and prostetics, and even documentation of cultural artifacts to name a few.
We have also teamed up with Aerobotics to offer drone assisted, large scale scanning. This allows us to scan objects from houses and buildings, to oil rigs and processing plants. This is great for architectual site construction, plant turn-around construction, and oil rig decomissioning.
We offer Low Volume Manufacturing on 3D Printed and Laser Cut items. Whether it is a quantity of 10 or 10,000, we can manufacture items to your specifications. While traditional plastic manufacuring is still ideal for a quantity of parts over 100,000, 3D Printing is a strong alternative for smaller runs. No "tooling" or set-up cost on the front end allows you to make small runs to test the market viability of your product and also make changes to the product as needed. We also have the ability to mass produce geometry that traditional manufacturing considers impossible.