1)Where did you get the idea to found PostNet and what prompted you to do so? How long has the company been around? Is every branch its own independent franchise?
Steve Greenbaum and I were involved in the retail package shipping industry before we founded PostNet in 1992. We owned and operated a small business shop in 1983 and offered a business opportunity in 1986. This wasn't a franchise, but it is where we built our competency in the industry. We founded PostNet in December 1992 and signed our first franchise agreement in July 1993.
We are a fully franchised company and each PostNet location is independently owned and operated.
2)Whose idea was it to start the new center in Minneapolis and what was it that was especially attractive about 3-D printing?
PostNet has more than 700 locations worldwide and pursues all markets for new locations. We were approached with the idea of providing 3D printing services by Dave Thorsen, PostNet's new Minneapolis franchisee who is passionate about the business. With an engineering background, he was also enthusiastic about the 3D printing potential for small businesses. Right now, PostNet is in the evaluation stages to learn about potential applications for the service and who would use it. PostNet strives understand and provide what the people who use 3D printing need. This evaluation period also helps us determine pricing structure and marketing strategy for other franchisees. We are confident that there is a need for 3D printing in the market based on what we've seen so far, and are looking forward to evaluating the ways this service could potentially be incorporated into our system.
3)What is the 3-D printing setup like and how will it work? As in, what type of printers are on site, what are the costs, the materials, etcetera?
If we decide to roll out 3D printing in additional locations, the setup will likely differ from what is currently in Minneapolis. I imagine that for the next few years 3D printing services will be available slowly and only offered in select centers; however, everything is unknown at this point because we are still in the learning process. We are evaluating what it will take to service the vast majority of consumers. I look at 3D printing like any new technology—take fax or the internet as examples. At first there is a narrow market, the technology is slow, difficult and expensive to use. But as the cost and complication eases and the speed of service increases, the market becomes wider.
4)What do you think are the biggest challenges facing small businesses and the printing environment today?
The biggest challenge facing small businesses in the printing environment today is having the best possible messaging and creative designs/art/graphics on their printed materials. Small businesses do not often have advertising or marketing agencies to help them determine what will work best for their product or service. The solution to this problem comes with PostNet's consultative approach to our business. We work with each client to determine what results they want from their printed materials and help design something that will reach that goal.
The biggest challenge facing small businesses when it comes to the 3D printing environment is that the market is still very narrow. In order to expand, the 3D scanning industry will need to be developed because not everyone knows how to create a file that can be printed in 3D.
5)Are there other plans to open more 3-D printing centers down the road if the one in Minneapolis is successful? Are those types of choices left up to the franchisees?
Yes, there are plans to open additional PostNet locations that will offer 3D printing services. Franchisees will not be required to offer it, but if we decide there is a definite need in the market, it will be an option. The option to offer 3D printing will be up to the franchisee.
1)Tell us the story of how the PancakeBot got started. What is your background/training that allowed you to design this?
PancakeBot started off as an accidental inspiration by my 3 year old daughter. I was reading Make Magazine Volume 2 when my daughter Lily asked me what I was doing. I told her I was reading an article about a person named Adrian Marshall who created a pancake stamping machine out of LEGO for a prototype for his job. Lily turned to her sister Maia and said, 'Papa's going to make a Pancake machine out of LEGO!' and so, when a 3 year old tells you to make a Pancake Machine out of LEGO, you better deliver. 6 Months later we made Mickey Mouse Pancakes and published the video on YouTube. People really liked it and that is what started this all.
2)Are you the only one currently working on its design?
I am the only designer for the project, however Jan Dyre Byrknes developed the interface and Dan Royer from MarginallyClever.com who developed the code for communicating with the robot. Without their help, it would have taken longer to develop.
3)What is your background/training that allowed you to design this?
I've been tinkering and building all my life but what helped me the most was my background in Bio-Resource and Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I learned 3D modeling on my own and that is one of the things that helped me design the chassis.
4)How was the reaction at the Bay Area Maker Faire?
The reaction was positive and at sometimes, overwhelming. Our booth was packed most of the time and we made over 4 gallons of PancakeBatter which amounts to about 500 pancakes of different sizes and shapes.
5)How many versions of the PancakeBot have you designed and what are the key differences between them?
I've designed about 8 different versions, including LEGO. The main difference between them is how the chassis and batter dispensers were built. Beyond that, I can't go into too much detail about them at this time.
6)What prior knowledge, if any, would be required to use a product like the PancakeBot?
To use the LEGO version you would need to know a bit about the programming language for LEGO but not too much. Also, you would need to know how coordinates and vectors work, along with calculating circumferences of gears and wheels. A bit of knowledge of cartesian coordinates helps too.
The new version uses some open source programs and you would need to have a little bit of experience with knowing how to start the program. Other than that, knowing how to make the batter is mainly what you need to know.
7)What can you tell us about the printing process with this machine and it's design (it looks like there is an electric griddle in the middle of it)?
PancakeBot is sized for standard electric griddles so people can choose which griddle to buy. In a nutshell, I developed a special batter dispenser unit that allows for you to draw with the pancake batter onto the griddle. At this point, I can't go into detail of how it works.
8)What ingredients can be used to make meals with it? How long does it take to make/cook a pancake?
The Batter dispenser unit is primarily designed for PancakeBatter but we have used chocolate syrup in it to decorate cakes as an experiment. The time it takes to make a pancake depends on the size of the pancake but it can vary from 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on the detail.
9)Without revealing too much (if possible) what is the short range (3-5 year) plan for your company?
We are currently looking into that right now and I don't have any information for you on that.
10)How close is the PancakeBot to coming fully to market and how much will it cost?
Again, we are still looking into that. There are different markets for different versions and we took it to the Maker Faire in San Mateo to see what peoples reaction was. So far it's been positive so I have lots of work ahead of me.
1) When was the Beech Daly Lab established and for what purpose?
Ford’s Beech Daly Technical Center was opened in 2005 and is a 24-hour-a-day operation in which 3D printers are used to make prototype parts for future vehicles and intricate molds to cast production-representative prototype parts.
2) How long has the lab been using 3D printing for prototyping?
Ford has been at the forefront of 3D printing for 25 years and was involved with the development of some 3D printing technologies in the 1980s and 90s. In 1988, Ford purchased the third stereolithography 3D printer ever made.
3) What kinds of 3D printers are you using to design the various parts and now, more recently, these tools?
Ford uses stereolithography machines, sand printing machines, and other methods for 3D printing.
4) What inspired the creation of these new tools to begin with?
Ford technicians didn’t always have the tools available to them that fit the needs of a given task with 3D printing so the workers employed ingenuity—using the same advanced technology and 3D printers used to make experimental car parts—to create the perfect tool to make the task work better.
5) What are they mainly constructed of? What advantages/disadvantages have you noticed with the material? How long do they take to print?
Ford uses nylon, metal, and plastics to construct the 3D printed tools. The tools can take as little as a few hours to create, but it depends on what Ford is printing.
6) In the instance that one of these new tools breaks, do you simply print off a new one, or do you take a look at the current design to see if improvements could be made?
The Beech Daly engineers are always looking for ways to make additive manufacturing more efficient, whether it’s re-printing a tool or creating a new model.
7) What are some of the next tools you are hoping to develop?
Currently we have built a number of tools to make the jobs around the shop faster and easier, and have upgraded some of the machines from the factory make. In addition, we have made a long-handled scoop used to reach into a sand-printing machine to fill in small imperfections should they arise. Objects that work as an enhancement to the vacuuming system are used to clean sand or powder from parts—inserted into the nozzle to quicken the speed of the rushing air to increase the efficiency of the sand removal.
8) To work at the Beech Daly Technical Center, do you have to have a background in engineering, fabrication, or design already, or is there sufficient on the job training?
There are various jobs within this facility. Some require an engineering background, while others require a more hands on mechanical background. Many of our employees have come from other areas and have been retrained to fit their current position. The most important qualities are a willingness to learn and the ability to adapt to new technologies while working in a team environment.
9) With the success of the 3D printed tools at your plant, has there been any talk of using them or designing new ones to be used at other Ford labs/plants?
Ford has several 3D printing facilities around the world. Ford uses 3D printing to quickly produce prototype parts, shaving months off the development time for individual components used in all of its vehicles, such as cylinder heads, intake manifolds and air vents. 3D printing also saves millions of dollars in the product development process by eliminating the need for special tooling, or dedicated molds, for parts likely to change.
Ford has also made tools that act as assembly aids for production facilities as well as making tools that are used to make direct production level parts. The technology also allows engineers to experiment with more radical, innovative part designs inexpensively and quickly.
10) What do you think are some of the key skills needed for this next generation (and maybe the current one as well) to be able to meet the challenges of design and prototyping? Does your center accept internships or co-ops where students can come in and learn these skills?
Because this technology is so heavily dependent on 3D modeling, it is important to develop good computer skills and a good knowledge of 3D modeling software would be very helpful. Our employees have very diverse backgrounds, but they all have the willingness to learn, a customer focused attitude and the drive to help Ford Motor Company build the best products in the world!