Some objects and ideas cannot be created by hand, especially hollow structures (which all 3D printed products are, making them lighter) and micro-details. The precision that 3D printing offers has been a game-changer in the medical field. Any object is created by printing with the desired material in an upward direction to create it layer-by-layer in three-dimensions.

3D doodling

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“The precision and the options for different materials that 3D printing offers make it viable for all kinds of industries. We have seen the start of many entrepreneurial journeys, be it light designers, fashion designers, architects and engineers, as you can start your own business with a printer that costs R15,000,” says 35-year-old Rahul Chandalia, the centre’s co-founder.

Printed jewellery casts

Since the option to go sustainable with raw materials is always there, at WOL3D, they work only with biodegradable plastic. They also generate their own electricity by using solar panels (and are often left with a surplus), reveals Chandalia as he shows us a lightweight cutwork screen made with cornstarch plastic. The company has been in the industry for five years now, and has printed concrete pieces, metal machine parts, electronics, figurines, dioramas, jewellery in different materials, garments for designers (a printed corset also features on the poster of Shanaya Kapoor’s recently announced movie), and teeth aligners too.

A 3D printed light fixture

They work in association with other specialised 3D printers in India for different categories. They have also set up 3D printers for IIT Bombay, engineering colleges and schools that are part of Government of India’s ATL Labs for children innovators. These printers can print 3D models of organs using 3D scans of the patient’s body (even tumours) to improve the results of surgeries.

A 3D vase being printed

DIY everywhere

All you need for your personalised or self-designed printed piece is your design in an STL (stereolithography) file format, which can be made for you, and you are ready to print. If you wish to print a customised figurine, gather as many photos as possible to get all angles of the person for the 3D imaging.

A 3D model of a lung for medical procedures

Or if you wish to simply doodle in 3D, you can pay Rs 499 an hour to doodle with their Itouch 3D pens, or even buy one for R1,000. It’s safe and engaging for young children too. If your 3D doodle turns out a little jerky in the first try, stress not because this model leaves a smaller carbon footprint, as it is biodegradable.

Figurines of a couple

Time: 11 am to 6.30 pm (Sundays closed)
At; Cotton Mill, 18, Hakoba Compound, ground floor, Kalachowki Parel
Call: 9969555777