MadeSolid CEO Lance Pickens got his start in 3D printing by printing models of specific molecules for customers.
The MadeSolid lab, located in Emeryville, isn’t a typical startup office.
The MadeSolid team started out at a warehouse in Oakland.
MadeSolid employees often have to wheel these huge drums of chemical in through the front lobby of their office building.
MadeSolid offers two types of resin for SLA style printing in a variety of colors.
MadeSolid spends hours testing their materials in different 3D printers.
SLA-style 3D printing works when a laser converts resin from a liquid to a solid.
The finished product of SLA and SLS printing often have to be cleaned off.
MadeSolid focuses much of their time on developing their resin products.
Funnels are often used to transfer chemical from big rums like this one into smaller vessels.
The goal of MadeSolid is to create materials that produce higher quality 3D printed products.
MadeSolids prides itself on producing a better quality product than what is currently available.
Part of the development process is weighing out chemicals to make sure there is the proper amount.
Ingredients such as microcrystalline cellulose are used to create stable materials for 3D printing.
After developing chemicals, a couple hours are spent testing materials and measuring the prints in the lab.
UV light helps to harden the prints made with resin.
MadeSolid chemists spend six to seven hours everyday working on chemical in the lab.
MadeSolid began as a service bureau after Lance Pickens and David Rorex.
Pickens said that he wants to see more automation in the MadeSolid lab in the future, to help with menial tasks in developing products.
Conner is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is now a Senior Research Analyst at 451 Research.
