Want the Perfect Chair? Print It

It took requests and inquires from the public for Gurka and his team to fully realize the potential the BigRep One had to make custom furniture, like a sideboard, and change the market.

"We gave the printer to the market to see what people would use it for," says Gurka, "and people picked it up immediately."

Gurka believes it’s the pure size of the machine, as well as the cost (the ONE runs around $40,000, as opposed to $400,000 for some competitors) that will help make it truly disruptive to the industry. The company already has plans to collaborate with designer Werner Aisslinger on a piece later this year, but it’s the effect on smaller makers and designers that could make the most significant difference.

"We’re going to be disruptive," says Gurka. "People should be able to customize objects. Think about it—with our machine, printing one is the same cost per unit as printing 500. This could get rid of pollution and shipping containers being shipped around the world. So many designers have ideas that haven’t made it into production. Maybe this helps them start their own business. It gives people more chances, especially young designers."

Architectural and landscape models are also possible, says Gurka, and he even tossed out a scenario where 3D printers could be drafted to make replacement parts for vintage automobiles. It’s an open frontier, according to Gurka, and it’s the unexpected ideas that make the industry so exciting.