3D printing, a high value-added innovation to boost pool sales!
Discover how 3D printing facilitates closing swimming pool project sales to prospective customers.
As we saw in our article on augmented and virtual reality, new technologies can help pool professionals develop their business. 3D printing is a new pool sector trend that facilitates closing project sales to prospective customers!
A host of innovations for pool and spa markets!
Models that mirror reality
3D printing does not replace the preliminary 2D pool design phase but this new technology is a pool construction aid with significant advantages:
- From the customer’s point of view, it is an excellent way to visualize the end result and see how their swimming pool will integrate into its environment. This facilitates decision making and sales closure. Customers understand the project better, reducing pool construction phase stress and discussions.
- From the pool builder’s point of view, visualization in tangible 3D facilitates precision and eliminates surprises during pool construction. This cuts down on building time, pools are commissioned more quickly, a 3D print provides a “hands-on” reference for everyone involved in the building process, and savings are made by eliminating the usually inevitable modifications to the project.
Cutting Edge Pool (1) has adopted this technology and produced a 3D model 1.5 meters long and 1.2 meters wide for one of its customers. Modeling the pool in 3D only took one working week, including 6 hours for the actual 3D print out.
This pool professional chose to create a colorized 3D model, but you can chose a monochrome 3D print if you simply want to focus on the localization, elements and proportions.
Printing in 3D
Invented around the turn of the century, 3D printing is a process that builds up the model by adding layer upon layer of matter. You start by drawing a digital model with a CAD software. The drawing is then sent to the 3D printer, which determines the different layers of the object and the printing phases. You can use a wide range of materials — plastics, metals, ceramics and organics like wax. This process with a future is now sufficiently developed for use in almost all sectors!
Facilitating prototyping for specific needs
Currently pool customers want personalization, as explained in our article dedicated to new buying habits. Some new pools have special needs — their shapes, equipment and functions make it essential to design made-to-measure solutions. 3D printing is a prototyping tool.
As we have seen 3D printing is fast and economically viable. Using it to prototype functional parts makes it possible to test the solution adopted more quickly and steer development. This makes it possible to answer customer expectations more easily and opens new, very interesting, horizons for pool manufacturers’ R & D services!
For example pool manufacturer Zodiac designed a pool cleaner engine twice as quickly by making the necessary parts in-house via 3D printing (2).
Mastering pool design: how to control the color of a swimming pool?
For the pool sector, 3D printing ensures meeting customer requirements better — and significantly simplifies pool professionals’ jobs. Combined with virtual reality, they form a “must” duet guaranteed to improve value-added in our sector!
(1) 3D Natives: Des maquettes de piscines imprimées en 3D
(2) CAD Vision: Un moteur de nettoyeur de piscine prototypé 50% plus vite grâce à l'impression 3D
© Photo credit: jean song / stock.adobe.com