df3d – a design factory, is a software platform for 3d printing, marketplace, e-commerce and design services.It enables businesses to become 3D printing-capable with their own brand name. This facilitates companies to easily create, correct, validate, sell designs and integrate an entire marketplace of designs.
McKinsey, the global management consulting firm, suggests that the economic implications of 3-D printing are substantial, with a potential impact of up to $550 billion a year by 2025. According to this McKinsey report, there are five disruptions impending in this industry segment: accelerated product development cycle, new manufacturing strategies and footprint, shifting sources of profit, new capabilities, and disruptive competitors.
Deepak Raj, one of the men behind df3d, tells us that he quit his corporate job at GE on 14th February 2014 to start a cloud platform which is an amalgamation of designing and engineering. The idea had first come to him at a 3D printing expo in Singapore in October 2013. One thing they were quite specific from the very start was that they will not make printers. He reasons out that there are so many printers coming up doing amazing work that they need not make one.
Berlin-based Amin Jorabi, who is also the co-founder, was their first client from Berlin. He is involved in the 3D printing cafe - Dimensionalley. Ever since Deepak left Bosch, he’d always wanted to do something of his own. Deepak tells us that he has 21 years of experience, and no qualms about admitting that the last four months were more of a learning experience than the last four years.
df3d is presently looking forward to work in the healthcare sector. They have already worked with two doctors in Germany, and are soon planning to work with doctors in Pune, Nagpur and Bangalore. He hints at software product launch in the coming months.