{"id":35660,"date":"2017-04-21T05:00:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-21T11:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tested-neuron.flywheelsites.com\/?p=35660"},"modified":"2017-06-13T16:31:52","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T22:31:52","slug":"democratizing-manufacturing-3d-printing-trash-qa-re3d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unreasonablegroup.com\/articles\/democratizing-manufacturing-3d-printing-trash-qa-re3d\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratizing Manufacturing by 3D Printing From Trash: Q&A with re:3D"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hundreds of millions of people still<\/strong> live in poverty without access to resources that would improve their livelihoods. Often, they have no choice but to rely on sporadic donations from aid agencies that may or may not actually address their needs.<\/p>\n

What if every household could act as its own factory and personally manufacture exactly what it needed to thrive?<\/p>\n

The world is not that far off from realizing this vision. Based in Austin, Texas, re:3D<\/a> developed the world\u2019s most affordable, large-scale 3D printer. Their flagship technology, the Gigabot<\/a>, prints objects up to 30 times larger than competing desktop models for customers in over 50 countries around the world.<\/p>\n

re:3D\u2019s ultimate vision is to 3D print products from post-manufacturing trash, with the hopes of developing a more circular economy, stimulating new jobs, and unlocking new markets. Not only that, but for every 100 Gigabots delivered, re:3D donates a Gigabot to a group somewhere in the world that\u2019s dedicated to improving their community.<\/p>\n

Unreasonable sat down with re:3D co-founder, Samantha Snabes (who\u2019s also a captain in the national guard and a former Social Entrepreneur in Residence at NASA) to discuss her vision that anyone, anywhere should have access to their own factory and be able to innovate on demand.<\/p>\n

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How did re:3D get started?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was working with Engineers Without Borders, and we were traveling around Rwanda with some friends who were NASA scientists, engineers and astronauts. The first formative experience for what would later become re:3D<\/a> was when we were visiting a hospital in Rwanda. We walked by this one part of the hospital, and there were mounds and mounds of electrical equipment and medical equipment sitting out in the sun in this huge pile. These were $100,000-200,000 machines, just sitting there.<\/p>\n

The gentleman who was translating said, \u201cOh, it’s super common, we can’t use it.\u201d And I asked why not. And he explained that because they are donations, often they\u2019re the wrong voltage, they\u2019re not a cultural fit, or they can’t be maintained. The list goes on. That was the first real development project I engaged in overseas. Then, in continuing efforts with Engineers Without Borders, with my role as a social entrepreneur in residence with NASA HQ, and also with my volunteering with Opportunity International, I realized I would see or hear about these instances again and again.<\/p>\n