Mcor Technologies paper-based 3D printer saves slot car business

DUNLEER, Ireland, July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mcor Technologies Ltd, manufacturer of the only line of desktop paper-based 3D printers in the world, and winner of the 2013 Brand of the Year Award, announced today that its low-cost SDL paper-based 3D printing technology is responsible for saving a high-performance slot car business, Pattos Place.

Pattos Place of Sydney Australia is the world's leading source for model car decals. The company also creates finely detailed scale models of legendary car bodies – Aston-Martins, Corvettes, Ferraris, McLarens, Vipers and many more. Pattos Place has created more than 1,500 different car styles and 9,000 different decal sets.

Car bodies produced by Pattos Place are made of PETG plastic, the kind often used in soda bottles and food packaging. It is heated until soft, wrapped around a car-shaped mould and allowed to cool into permanent shape. Although the company originally hand-carved the moulds, they graduated to 3D printing, which creates moulds from 3D computer-aided designs.

"3D printing became very, very expensive because of the plastic materials I had to buy," said Bruce Paterson, proprietor of Pattos Place. The 3D printer was complicated. It used liquid plastic resin, an expensive material that is cured with ultraviolet light. A single set of four moulds – one each for 1/24, 1/32, 1/43 and 1/64 scale – cost more than $250. It was expensive enough to drive him out of the business.

Just as Paterson was about to close his body shop, he discovered 3D printing from Mcor Technologies, which manufactures 3D printers with the world's lowest operating cost. Its operating cost is low because the build material is far less expensive than UV-curable plastic: it's ordinary business paper. When the paper is bonded together, the resulting 3D printed model is tough and durable because it's essentially wood. A set of four moulds costs Paterson about one-fourth of the cost of mould sets from the plastic-based 3D printer, a savings of more than $180 for each set.

"Not only can I stop worrying about the cost of moulds, the thermoformed bodies are coming out truer than ever," said Paterson. "Paper holds its shape perfectly. Distortion is a well-known but rarely discussed problem with plastic-based 3D printing, which involves heating and cooling. The Mcor process is also clean and green, and I love the results … and my customers love the results. The affordability of my tools, like the Mcor 3D printer plays a huge role in letting me continue, and helping slot cars thrive in the digital age."

Pattos Place is supported by Mcor Certified Reseller, DGS3D.

About Mcor Technologies Ltd
Mcor Technologies Ltd is an innovative manufacturer of the world's most affordable, full-colour and eco-friendly 3D printers. They are the only 3D printers to use ordinary business A4 and letter paper as the build material, a choice that renders durable, stable and tactile models. Established in 2004 with a talented team of specialists in the area of 3D printing, software and CAD/CAM, Mcor's vision is to make 3D printing more accessible to everyone. The company operates internationally from offices in Ireland, the UK and America.  www.mcortechnologies.com.