3D Copiers, Printers, And Scanners... Are They The Way Of The Future?

There are a few things you can expect to be welcomed to when you walk into your office building. The chatter of other employees on the phone. The smell of coffee being made. You can definitely expect to see the ever-so-familiar line at the photocopier as well. Doesn't it all seem a bit monotonous? Wouldn't it be nice to spice things up a little bit? You might not be able to put a Star Bucks in your office, but you might be able to upgrade that old copier that you have in the office. This isn't to say that there is anything necessarily wrong with the normal copiers, but there is always room to upgrade your office technology.

When you think of your normal copier or scanner, you probably don't have 3D copiers, scanners, or printers come to mind. Emerging technology, however, suggests that you should probably start now.

3D Everything
When I say "3D", there could be a couple of different ideas that pop into your head. You might be thinking 3D glasses or even 3D graphics. Well you are on the right track... sort of. These new 3D printers, scanners, and copiers are all more in the business of copying, scanning, and printing, actual objects instead of just paper. These devices are able to scan and create on more than just the typical flat plane. Instead, they are able to access the z-axis instead of just the x-axis and y-axis. Basically they are able to scan and print objects in real space, in case I lost you in the all the math talk. The scanners will scan the objects, create a 3D-rendered image on the software, and then the 3D printer can print of the object in real space, not on a piece of paper.


Application?
If you take a second to think about it, these new devices could become huge assets in the business office. Being able to scan and print off certain supplies that you might need in the office could become a huge money saver. Is your office cater to more graphic design work? Maybe you work for an architectural company? 3D scanners could become your best friend in the office. Why is that you may think? Well the fact that these scanners can gather full imaging of whatever object that you're scanning and then save that data to later be uploaded on the software is a big deal. Instead of just starting from complete scratch, you now have something to work with and edit to your liking. You can then "print" out your images and models to get an idea of what you want when you finally make the real thing.

Is It Really The Future?
Even though these new devices sound promise, can they still take over the photocopier? Are these new products able outshine your normal Xerox machine? They just might be able to. How you may ask? Well think if these products allow for both 2D and 3D scanning, printing, and copying. You then have something that could basically be a 6-in-one machine that can be used in the office. Some of these new 3D devices are portable as well. There are 3D scanners that you can even put on your iPad's camera lens in order to capture 3D rendered imagining such as that. We have home scanners and home printers. That's all well and good but what about the possibility of having these objects scanned, the 3D image information sent over to your 3D printer wirelessly, and printing out for you? Now we are getting more towards the future.

There are still times when all you really needs is a paper document copied and printed off. That being said, many companies are starting to go paperless and just send their memos via email. College classrooms are sending syllabuses via email now as well. When we need something on paper we still have that possibility, but we may be on the verge of seeing a technological shift from regular 2D paper copying, to 3D image scanning, rendering, and printing.

Could 3D Scanners Make Their Way To Your Office?

Upgrades are nice. There is no denying that. Everyone loves to have the biggest, best, and newest products. When choosing to upgrade though, there are so many factors to take into account. One being price. The price tag on a particular machine can really trigger some of those "Oh my..." faces if it is through the roof. Then comes the price of consumables to help the machine function as needed. All of it adds up quickly. The next thing that should come to mind is practicality and usage. What are you going to need this machine for? What are going to be its main uses? All of these factors come into play at some point. What machine could I even be talking about, you may wonder? A copier, of course. Mind you, not just a regular copier, but one of the newer 3D copiers.

Are you unsure of what a 3D copier is? Well it works a lot like its 2D counterpart. Unlike a regular photocopier that scans a document or some piece of paper, the 3D copier is used to copy actual physical objects. The 3D printer has been out for a little bit now, and works in tandem with a 3D copier. Particularly one from MakerBot. The copier went up for sale last October, and as stated, works together with the 3D printer from MakerBot. How the copier works is through a small turntable. By placing whatever object you are trying to scan upon the turntable, the turntable will then spin. This will allow the laser scan the object properly, and then upload a 3D rendered image onto the products software. All that's left to do is print the object.

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All in all it's a good product and one that could be practical in some situations, but not all. That, paired with a nice $1,400 price tag can really stifle any buyer at that price. This is where a review of what you and your company may need comes into play. If all you are looking for is to photocopy documents and reports, then obviously you don't need a 3D copier, a 3D printer, and its software. However, should you see yourself in something that requires a bit more artistic focus, this may not be a bad investment. Also, there in lies the other factors of using a 3D copier. You will need to companion printer and the software to make everything work properly should you need it. The positive is that in the rendering process, you can edit the scanned object to add and take away from it. The only real case where the copier could be used by itself is with some type of graphic design or digital animation. Other than that, there may be no real use for it.

3D copiers are very fun to use and even more fun to watch operate. The bottom line is though, is that it may not be the most practical thing for a typical office space. However, if you are still interested, it never hurts to rent and try before you buy!

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