Kodak Portrait 3D printer
The latest technology brand to join the ranks of household names turning their hands to 3D printing is Kodak. The company, best-known for dominating the photography market throughout the 20th century, turns 130 next year and with a new 3D printer in tow is out to show it is always looking to the future.
Last month, the company announced a partnership with technology solutions provider, Smart International, to expand its licensing into 3D printing. The collaboration has resulted in Kodak’s first 3D printer, a dual extrusion, smart, desktop machine aimed at the professional and educational markets, along with a Kodak 3D Printing Filament range that promises industry-leading quality.
At a time when vinyl and instant cameras have returned to high street shelves, there is plenty of value to be tapped in nostalgia. But unlike fellow imaging leader, Polaroid which introduced a somewhat retro desktop printer last year, the company has decided to make a nod to its legacy in a more subtle way, first naming the machine the Portrait and secondly with a celebratory 3D printed lithophane of Kodak founder, George Eastman holding the original Kodak Brownie camera.
“Everybody knows Kodak, so people will think “oh there's a new 3D printer and it's KODAK so there must be some reputation behind it” but we are more confident in the quality of our products than just the brand itself,” Demian Gawianski, COO, Kodak 3D Printing, Smart International told TCT. “The brand will open the gates but the quality will really make the difference.”
Kodak Filament
That quality is something Kodak is keen to convey in the Portrait’s make-up. It’s a sturdy-looking thing made with a fully-enclosed galvanised steel frame, 200 x 200 x 250 mm build platform, LED indicators, filament sensors, touch screen and on-board camera. The same can be said for its materials and it has partnered with an undisclosed company with over 65-years’ experience in manufacturing plastic filament to create a range of materials with the lowest moisture rate on the market. A quick glance at its current materials offering of ABS, PLA, Nylon 6, Nylon 12, HIPS, PLA+ and PLA Tough, shows it is set on providing engineering-grade materials for serious makers rather than trinkets, but the printer will also be open to filaments from any other brand on the market.
"We are not starting with regular PLA or ABS. We have PLA+ which is nine times stronger than ABS, we are offering Nylon 6, Nylon 12 and we will be offering more and more materials to the market so that users can not only prototype with this printer but also manufacture end-use parts," Demian commented.
Delving into 3D printing is an interesting move for the company which just five years ago experienced a financial downturn and ceased production on its digital image capture products to focus on its corporate imaging business and 2D printing. After undergoing a rebrand around three years ago, Kodak identified creative professionals, designers, architects, engineers - people who make things - as an integral part of its audience and set about launching onto the 3D printing market with a product that would speak to that same demographic.
“We believe that there is a very interesting opportunity in this segment of this market, we believe that this is a market segment that is growing very fast,” Demian commented. “We think it's the market segment where there is more of a need for reliable accurate repeatable solutions. Professionals or engineering departments in smaller companies, they need machines that do the work and do so reliably - that is the solution that we are developing.”
Kodak is already talking about 3D printing in terms of its ecosystem and Demian confirms we can expect to see more machines as early as next year. Kodak will be at CES 2018 in Las Vegas in January to debut its 3D printing products alongside a few additional nods to the past including a new version of the iconic Super 8 camera.
Demian explained: “We are trying to convey the idea that Kodak is a high technology company with history and that it's always thinking of the technologies of the future.”
Kodak is kicking things off with a discount offer ($1,819 from $2,799) on the first 500 units ready to ship in March 2018 along with 30% off filament. Though they appear to be selling well with less than 100 units left at the time of writing, Demian says this initial phase is not about making thousands of sales but rather “to spread word and to have everyone in the 3D printing industry know that KODAK has entered the market”.
