Meet with Prom Vongchann - A 3D Printing Specialist

Prom Vongchann with his new toy called Shang Shong made by 3D printing technique. Photo: AOMPUL/Som Panha      

In our daily life, especially for students or office workers, printing documents on the plate platform such as paper or banner is a routinely traditional activity. How about those in other fields such as Architecture, Engineering, or Product Design? What could be a difference?

Sitting in his co-working space room along with a few of his colleagues gathering as a group, a man is focusing hard on his newly created toys looking as much like a gear and a bar. He tries to make a house structure out of it.

His name is Prom Vongchann, a 3D printing specialist at ARC Hub PNH in downtown Phnom Penh. Those toys he was playing with at a moment are made by himself through 3D printing technology. He named it in Khmer as Shang Shong – roughly translated as “to build.”

Vongchann has been routinely working at the hub for over a year. He has had four-year working experience in printing industry – both 2D and 3D.

“Many people get confused 3D printing with Injection Modeling,” Vongchann said. “In fact, we do not used mold in 3D printing. As we assign to print a 3D object in our computer, the 3D printer will operate by printing that object a layer by a layer until the object is completely formed.”

Instead of using paper and color ink as the materials like 2D printing, 3D printer uses melted single-colored plastic to print out the object. The time it takes to print an object out would depend on the object’s size.

3D printing is beneficially used to produce the tangible model of a product before being finalized, sent to the factory, and produced in a large amount. The process is commonly used by creative artist, architect, or tech innovator.

To be able to print in 3D, one is required to design their object in any of 3D computer applications such as Autodesk Fusion 360, Autodesk 3DS Max, Autodesk 123D Design, Autodesk Meshmixer, or any other program that can export the printed file into “.STL” (STereoLithography) since it is the file format, which is recognized by many relevant printers.

According to Vongchann, a 3D printer can cost from 100 USD to 4K USD for prototyping model, and from 20K USD to 100K USD for industrial model. He recommends the user to consider their purpose before they decide to purchase one whether it is for prototyping, or for doing business.

Some of the products coming out of Vongchann’s 3D printing work were robots, toys for kids, and artificial limbs for the disabled.

“For my own personal thinking, I believe 3D printing would be as convenient as using computer. Before, computer was as complex as 3D printer right now. No one wanted to touch it. However, once people know how to use it, 3D printing machine would be needed everywhere.”

One would not be able to do anything much with 3D printing if they do not have any idea of what they want to create, Vongchann said, adding his suggestion to fellow tech innovators to be courageous to go on and explore more on what they want to do and what they can do.

“The thing is to have the idea in doing it, and share it to people around you who have the same interest. Do not feel down if you fail. You can always motivate yourself and try again.”

For those who are interested in learning more about 3D printing, Vongchann and his 3D printing startup can be contacted at his office inside the ARC Hub PNH on Street 184.

Different series of 3D printers, displayed at ARC Hub PNH. Photo: AOMPUL/Som Panha

Prom Vongchann’s previous 3D printing work. Photo: AOMPUL/Som Panha

by Som Panha