Passing on the goodness of Showa manufacturing to the next generation
“I want to change the way manufacturing is done with technology.” Extra Bold (Toshima Ward, Tokyo), founded in 2017 by President Yuji Hara, has an extremely unique giant 3D printer as its main product. That is the black device in the photo. The biggest feature of this 3D printer is that it can directly melt pellets, which are raw materials for plastic, and use them as 3D printing materials.
3D printers require a special material for printing (filament), which is supplied exclusively by the printer manufacturer. Therefore, even if the printer itself can be obtained at a low price, running costs are high and the choice of materials is limited. In terms of business model, it is a typical Gillette model (a model in which the razor itself is made popular at a low price, and profits are made through a special blade cartridge that must be replaced periodically).
Therefore, Extra Bold devised a way to use plastic pellets instead of filament. They developed a unique head that can melt materials, mix them homogeneously, and discharge them in large quantities. There are almost no restrictions on the pellet materials that can be used, so 3D printers can achieve material costs close to those of mass-produced products. Moreover, most plastics and composite materials can be used in pellet form. Recycled waste plastic materials can also be used.
Because it is large and has a large output volume, it is also possible to quickly mold large parts and products that are difficult to do with conventional printers.
What is needed is to develop manufacturing engineers
It is clear from a technical standpoint that Extra Bold’s 3D printer is superior, but there are of course some hurdles when it comes to putting it to good use in actual production sites. Problems such as the high cost of introduction must also be resolved, but as President Hara worked to develop the product and popularize it, he noticed something.
President Hara has made use of the experience he has gained in the manufacturing field over many years, responded to new technologies that have changed with the times, and made new proposals to the industry.
When President Hara started his career at a major company in the 1980s, at a time when the Internet was not yet widespread, he had the opportunity to directly experience “digital manufacturing” using communication technology, which determined his future.
Through the experience of using 3D CAD and designing while sharing data with remote locations before it was widely used, I witnessed the impact of technological innovation on the manufacturing industry up close, and learned about computer-based cutting, 3D printing, etc. I started Extra Bold because of my active involvement and awareness of the issues I felt.
However, advancing “digital manufacturing” across the entire industry requires more than just superior technology and tools. The manufacturing culture that took root in the Showa era was established based on great success experiences. Although there are many excellent aspects, sticking to traditional methods and resisting new methods creates bias and conflicts in the field.
Introducing new technologies and methods requires leadership to eliminate resistance to change and attachment to existing processes.
“I realized that even if we develop excellent technologies and tools, in order to create competitive products, it is important for the people who actually use them to hone their skills and have an awareness of taking on new challenges.” For example, in order to master advanced tools such as 3D CAD, a user’s technical understanding and operational skills are essential, but it is also important to know what new technology can bring and come up with new ideas. We need education and support to help us move forward.”
Achieved “Creative First”
When President Hara was in his early 30s, he was appointed president of a subsidiary established by the manufacturer he worked for to promote manufacturing using 3D CAD. Developed the software.
In order to take advantage of this product, he established a “Fab Lab” as a place for individuals and small businesses to develop products using digital manufacturing technology, and has experience in creating the foundation for manufacturing using digital technology. Since then, he has been involved in the popularization and sales of overseas-made 3D printers during the early days of 3D printers.
As I continued to watch these technological changes from the forefront, I wanted to somehow change the industrial structure of manufacturing. That’s when I came up with an entirely new 3D printer that can actively reuse waste plastic.
If this idea can be realized, 3D printers could be used to reduce resource waste and reduce environmental impact as awareness of environmental issues increases.
After consulting with Taizo Son (brother of SoftBank Group President Masayoshi Son), a well-known angel investor with whom he had been in contact for some time, he began developing a large and fast 3D printer using recyclable materials at the end of 2017. That is the Extra Bold 3D printer.
Due to its large size, high speed, and low-cost materials, 3D printers have attracted attention from fields such as automobiles and architecture, but at the same time, 3D printers have the hurdle that anyone who can handle 3D CAD can easily take on the challenge of manufacturing. There is a lowness.
Just as the production of music, illustrations, videos, etc. using computers has lowered the barrier to entry into the creative field, with Extra Bold’s 3D printer, various creators with ideas can take on the challenge of creating things at an extremely low initial cost.
This is where President Hara’s
marketing
sense begins to shine. The focus was on nurturing the younger generation, including students.
The mass-produced machine “EXF-12” is a large container-shaped 3D printer.
“Creative First”. In other words, the important thing is not the technology or new method itself, but what kind of thing we want to create. They switched to doing things with the idea of harnessing the creativity of a new generation in mind.
We are opening the door to creators who have had little opportunity to directly engage in manufacturing, including abstract values such as design, color, texture, functionality, or “appearance,” to use Extra Bold’s large-scale, high-speed 3D printers. Spread it out. With young creators in mind,
her Instagram
is full of emotional photos.
Collaborating with schools and educational institutions to provide educational programs and workshops to learn how to operate 3D printers and design skills will combine with the trend of environmentally friendly manufacturing using waste plastics and residues of various materials. A chemical reaction that exceeded the president’s imagination began to occur.
Trends in digital manufacturing born from “Bold Gym”
The creators and students who gathered at Extra Bold not only created things with innovative ideas, but also grew as a community and influenced each other, leading to a single result.
How “HONOKA” works are made
Creators who worked on making things with Extra Bold launched a design lab called “HONOKA” and produced works using Extra Bold 3D printers. We exhibited a project called “Tatami ReFab Project” at “Milano Salone International Furniture Fair 2023” held in Milan, Italy in April 2023. Won 1st place in Salone Satellite Award 2023.
Tatami ReFab Project develops a new material by crushing rushes that are discarded during tatami production and mixing them with biodegradable resin (cellulose acetate) to form pellets. Using this material, furniture was created using a large-scale 3D printer, EXF-12.
The concept was to reintroduce traditional Japanese tatami into modern life and re-evaluate its appeal, and the work was praised for making use of the fragrance and texture of tatami while also making use of the free formability of 3D printing.
In order to develop this manufacturing community, Extra Bold has opened a “Bold Gym” in Otsuka, Tokyo, which can be used on weekends for a monthly membership fee of 10,000 yen. This is a “training gym” that specializes in digital manufacturing using 3D printers, and members can freely use the 3D printers. If you bring in recycled materials and use them, they are offering a big deal, allowing you to pay for the materials free of charge.
Bold Gym members also receive technical support, and in addition to paid creative members, there is a wide range of participants, including interns, part-time workers, and young training engineers accepted from other companies, allowing them to work on projects in a free environment. They say they are working on it.
The company has also registered a trademark for the word “green creative,” which refers to manufacturing with consideration for the environment. President Hara’s aim is to nurture the younger generation and bring new ideas to fruition by continuing to support projects that create products with an awareness of the environment. If the graduates who honed their skills at Bold Gym will make a leap forward as human resources supporting new manufacturing in Japan, this will lead to an increase in sales of 3D printers, which is Extra Bold’s main business. The challenge has only just begun.