SHILLONG, Dec 21: Talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and you see it in action at the 3D Farm owned by DD Laloo and Co at Jylli Shop, Nongthymmai. The 3D Farm is where 3D printing or additive manufacturing, which is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file, has been happening since October this year. Here the students of Eriben Presbyterian Secondary School have been interning in batches to do their own 3D printing with efficient mentoring from Srujan Kotum, an associate of Laloo, who has been in Shillong for the past five years.
Kotum started his 3D printing venture by the name November Nix Labz in Siliguri and later moved to Mumbai where 3D printing is a huge business.
For now the 3D Farm is bustling with activity as the students of Class VIII are busy with their work trying out their own models. Two of them were seen creating a model of Nike sneakers, while another was in the process of printing a model of a girl from an animation film.
The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In this process, an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object. 3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out or hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine.
3D printing enables production of complex shapes using less material than traditional manufacturing methods. Kotum informed that the thin nylon like filament made of corn starch and which is used to manufacture the 3D pieces is recyclable.
The students were seen deeply engrossed in their work of choosing a piece of art from the internet that is allowed to be used for 3D printing but not for commercial purposes and using the techniques taught by Kotum to produce the figurines they want. Their computer teacher, Daiakmenlang Kharbuli, was also present at the 3D Farm to guide and inspire her students. There is space for six students at a time and within a week, and they have learnt quite a bit.
When asked what they felt about the training, the students said it was awesome to be doing something professional outside the classroom and to learn a trade that empowers them to build a start-up with bank assistance at some distant future.
The parents and guardians of the students were also present and watched their kids performing what to them is a strange feat they could never have imagined in their time. One of the mothers said she is sad that her son who is so talented cannot practise at home since they don’t own a desktop. She works as a domestic help and her husband is a carpenter.
Since 3D printing is about rapid prototyping, it is a fast and cheap way of translating an idea into a model and then creating a prototype in a matter of days instead of weeks besides replication is easier and cheaper to make as there is no need for expensive moulds or tools. The machine for 3D printing itself costs about Rs 25,000 each, informed DD Laloo, who is as excited as the students are.
Speaking to this reporter, Laloo said, “The excitement in the room when the students are at their work is infectious. When I look at these bright-eyed young people I wonder at how many such bright kids there are in our state whose dreams die first because we are unable to identify their strengths and train them in the profession they are adept at instead of pushing them into something they have no interest in.”
Laloo said he started this business in October this year because he saw a feasible business opportunity and wanted the youth here to have an exposure into this venture which they seem to have taken to like a duck takes to water.
Besides rapid prototyping, 3D printing is also used for rapid manufacturing, which is a new method of manufacturing where businesses use 3D printers for short-run/small batch custom manufacturing.
3D printing encompasses many forms of technologies and materials being used in almost all industries today. 3D printing is used for consumer products such as eyewear, footwear, design, furniture. It is used to replicate ancient artefacts and movie props, reconstructing fossils, making dental products and prosthetics among others.
Laloo said he had a client who wanted to reconstruct a model of a British soldier. That was done and the painting work to give the model a natural look was done by renowned artist, Careen Langstieh. The model looked every bit what it is meant to depict.
During the lockdown, a taxi driver would frequent the 3D Farm and was fascinated by what it could create. He worked at creating a lovely castle which is on display at Laloo’s family showroom in the same premises – The Flower Studio.
