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Building toys with 3D printing kiosks

From prosthetic limbs to organ replacement, the possibilities for 3-D printers seem endless, yet one area 3-D printing is about to explode is in the manufacturing business. This is particularly true in toy manufacturing with PieceMakers’ new 3-D printing kiosk called the PieceMaker Factory.

February 27, 2015 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

From prosthetic limbs to organ replacement, the possibilities for 3D printers seem endless, yet one area 3D printing is about to explode is in the manufacturing business. This is particularly true in toy manufacturing with PieceMakers’ new 3-D printing kiosk called the PieceMaker Factory. These printers allow children to create their own toys.  

This was part of PieceMaker’s pilot test for their Factory kiosk, which  was held in 2 Toys"R"Us stores, one in Cranberry Township (outside Pittsburgh) and one in Totowa, NJ (near the Toys"R"Us headquarters), said Pam Israel, director of marketing for PieceMaker.

The kiosks themselves were integrated with two printers and gave children and adults alike multiple customization options for what types of toys they wanted to print out. The wait time for these stations was anywhere from five to 25 minutes and had a price from $4.99 to $12.99 depending on the item.

“For all our pieces, people can choose the color,” Israel said. “For most, they can also add words (such as a name, initials or numbers), one of our custom icons or both.” PieceMaker plans to include additional customization options in future models, but they are still in the process of planning and development.

Children and adults alike were fascinated by the printing process. “Kids are torn between which is cooler, the customizing or the printing, although the customizing seems to have a slight edge for the kids,” Israel said. “Self-expression is part of a larger trend, and is especially relevant to kids as they are developing into their own personalities.”

“One of my personal highlights is watching people pick up one of our spinning pieces which print flat but then spin without any assembly. Typically, jaws drop and people's eyes open in amazement,” Israel said.

PieceMaker has exclusively stayed in the realm of retail, because at the time of its creation, “…we didn’t think the home market was ready,” said Arden Rosenblatt, CEO of PieceMaker in a September 2014 interview with KioskMarketplace.   

“A lot of retailers see our offering as leading the way into the future,” Israel said. “Customers value the experience, and retailers love that we're simplifying their supply chain no inventory and no returns.” PieceMaker intends to release their 3D printing station for retailers to purchase this summer.

3-D printing is a bit more complex than many consumers realize. You cannot simply pull up a file and expect it to print correctly. First you either have to find a file online that is 3D printer friendly or create one. Several websites offer these models for free including Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory which have everything from Christmas ornaments to action figures. Next, you have to use 3D printing software to either craft a model or to make it ready for 3D printing. In addition, 3D printers tend to be very expensive. Even a cheap 3D printer costs around $1000, not including the filaments, software and extra parts you need to properly use the printer.

These limitations mean that 3D printing is usually only utilized in homes with tech savvy residents. However, retail usage of 3D printing is flourishing. PieceMaker trained Toys R Us employees on the usage of their kiosks. “Our system is very easy, but we do need a minute or two per piece from someone to kick-off the print and remove it from the printer,” Israel said. “After some basic training, employees can (and did) pretty easily do everything on their own.” 

One major question these new developments bring up is whether 3D printing will begin to phase out traditional manufacturing. “Cost will be a decider,” said Sridhar Ramachandran, professor of Informatics at IU Southeast. “As 3D printing becomes more affordable and people can afford to own one then even traditional toy manufacturing will be able to adopt the 3D printing process into their manufacturing process and bring the overall cost of traditional toys down.”

The fun, colorful nature of 3D printing lends itself to the spirit of toys and Toys R Us. This brings up a key question. Will we start to see 3D printing in other retail businesses besides places like Staples and Toys R’ Us? “It still remains economically infeasible due to the amount of time a 3D printer would take to print out something as simple as a Philips head screwdriver or a hammer,” Tim McCendo, manager for IU Southeast’s Makerspace 3D Printing Lab, said.

“How comfortable would you be with a 3D printed brakepad? or a 3D printed molar?  or a 3D printed pressure cooker? or a 3D printed padlock?” Ramachandran said. “The primary boundary to adaptation is societal acceptance.”

Regardless of these considerations, PieceMaker’s kiosks create a fun experience for users and they are introducing the magic of 3D printing to a mainstream audience.

(Image courtesy of Pam Israel).

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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