Glowforge does 3D printing with wood, veneer, acrylic, and leather.
Glowforge has been selling 3D laser printers since 2015, with more than $70 million in orders. Now it is adding the ability to print with different kinds of materials, dubbed Proofgrade. These materials include custom hardwoods, plywoods, veneer, acrylic, and leather.
With Proofgrade, you peel off a protective coating to expose the print medium. A bar code tells the printer exactly what kind of material is being used. The woods are free of knots and burls, and the leather is expected to last for a long time.
You put the right material in the 3D printer, and then you 3D print your object. You can carve up organic material like wood, create a magnet based on a child’s design, or print a pattern on top of something with a curved surface, like a Macbook Air. You can also pick a pattern from the Glowforge catalog if you don’t want to design your own. The laser cuts and engraves your design, accurate to the width of a human hair.
In 2015, Glowforge set the record for the largest 30-day crowdfunding campaign in history with $27.9 million in preorders. Now, thousands of the printers are being delivered to customers.
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