I received a message that I felt was better addressed in the forums:

Paper printing is called LOM or Layer Object Manufacturing. There are only a few companies that offer this technology and none have offered this service to Kraftwurx. If MCOR has a bureau offering prints in Paper, we encourage them to sign up and offer the service to consumers worldwide.

www.mcortechnologies.com/products offers a paper 3D printer.

I am posting this conversation into the forums on the website in the hopes that others can learn from your questions.

Hello Chris,

Thank-you for your reply. That’s useful to know that paper printing is referred to as Layer Object Manufacturing and that only a few companies offer this technology. Do you think this is due to lack of demand for parts made of paper or is the technology not quite as developed as other 3D printing methods?

Thanks for your help – much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Nicola

Nicola Scott PhD
Consultant Analyst

Nicola,

Paper printing is the oldest of the 3D printing technologies. I saw my first LOM part in 1994. It was a Ford car rim 14" in diameter and was actually used on a car that was rolled into the Detroit Auto Show (carefully). LOM parts are or can be very VERY strong depending on the paper and resin used.

One of the latest paper printers uses simple A4 sheet paper. You insert a stack of paper and it cuts the object out of the stack and makes the finished part which is interestingly enough still embedded within the stack of paper. You have to peel away the unused paper (which becomes scrap). This means that you have a low cost print but at the expense of making a lot of wasted paper.

That said, used clean white paper is 100% recyclable.

I am certain that this printing tech has its place in the industry. I think architecture students would love it. Paper is flammable though...but so are plastics.

I could go on all day here but LOM has sort of fallen away from mainstream in favor of other materials. It could see a resurgence but I suspect Paper 3Dprinting will be one of many tools in a tool belt for 3D printing for many years. The big drawback is that, like subtractive manufacturing (machining) there is an issue around the size of object you make. It is either too big or too small. You either make a small object and waste a lot of paper or make want a big object that is bigger than the size it can do. Either way you have waste product while other printing technologies do not waste anything. Bottom line: None of the printer technologies are perfect.