by Jamee Larson

he technological advances our society has experienced have come at a blistering pace. A mere twenty years ago, students were studying keyboarding skills via electric typewriters and liquid correction fluid. The vast array of technology available to today’s young people has transformed the learning environment and given people all around the world access to the same information. Computers and smart phones are no longer considered luxuries, but necessities; and the advances keep coming. In ten years, technology will look immensely different than it does today, leaving many struggling to keep up.

One of these advances is occurring in the field of printing. The history of printing is full of inventions that revolutionized the industry. From Johannes Gutenberg inventing the movable type in 1439 to Gary Starkweather’s innovative laser printer in 1969, the world of printing has kept pace with the rest of the technology world. Jake Clark is hoping to capitalize on the next big print advancement: the 3D printer. Clark recently participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for his new company, Fargo 3D Printing. The company currently does not have a physical location, but Clark hopes to have a retail story by the end of 2014. “We want Fargo 3D Printing to be a hub in the tri-state area for inventors, artists, tinkers, business people, and the general public to embrace the 3D printing revolution,” he said.

What is 3D Printing?

According to State Tech Magazine, the history of 3D printing can be traced back to 1984, when Charles Hull began to experiment with printing materials instead of ink. Hull, who went on to start 3D Systems, dubbed the process stereolithography. The process enables a tangible 3D object to be created from digital data. 3D printers work much like inkjet printers, depositing the desired material in successive layers instead of using ink. The result is an actual physical object. 3D printing has recently been used to create anything from prosthetic limbs and blood vessels to cars and robotic airplanes. “The field of 3D printing is huge,” Clark said. “The future possibilities are endless.” Imagine a medical system where nobody has to die waiting for an organ donation; he or she simply needs to wait for it to be printed. Such medical marvels are not as far-fetched as they may seem, and will likely be reality in a few short years.

Fargo 3D Printing:

Clark became interested in 3D printing in 2012 while working for Alderon Industries. “We were having prototypes made of a product and found out that it was costing thousands of dollars to print something as small as a shot glass,” he explained. “We decided to purchase a lower-cost 3D printer known as the MakerBot Replicator 2.” Over the course of the next year, Clark worked with the machine and started participating in events around the area that showcased the device. “After those events I got more interest from John Schneider, my now-business partner in Fargo 3D Printing, and from there on, the rest is history.

At just twenty-one years of age, Clark has already begun cementing himself as a player in the world of 3D printing. “I credit my parents, my high school education, and my technical degree for my success,” he said. Clark’s parents have owned and operated Clark’s Excavating since the 1970s, and he looks to them as excellent role models. “They know how to become successful,” he said, “and they taught me to look for the little things that can catch a startup off guard.” Clark believes his education at Moorhead High School is also partly responsible for his success. “My high school education was the starting point for all of this,” he said. “It was the foundation.” While at MHS, Clark took courses in electronics, 2D drafting, welding, woodworking, and engineering. “If it wasn’t for MHS’s vast class range, I would have never came upon drafting and 3D printing as a career I love,” he said. After bouncing around for a couple of years after high school, Clark enrolled at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, eventually earning a Mechanical Drafting and Design degree. A job at Alderon soon followed. “That was huge,” he said. “If I hadn’t taken a job at Alderon, I wouldn’t have worked with 3D printers.”

Clark’s love of technology started at a young age. “As a kid, I took computers apart at my grandmother’s kitchen table just to see what was inside and how it worked,” he explained. “Machines are what really inspire me,” he said. “Manufacturing as a whole is my passion.” That hunger for knowledge and understanding has led Clark of to take a leap of faith into a largely unknown world. Although members of the industry have known about 3D printing for some time, the general public may still be unaware of its capabilities. That’s where Clark would like to come in. “Fargo 3D Printing is that place to go if you’re on the fence about getting a printer or just have general questions about them,” he said. “We would love to come in and talk to students and teachers about how this technology can be used in their curriculum.” Clark knows that launching a retail store by the end of the year would help in this process. “We want to establish a place for people to come and purchase, talk, rent, or have their 3D printer serviced,” he said.

In the meantime, Clark and Fargo 3D Printing are just a phone call or email away. “If people have questions regarding the purchase or rent of a MakerBot, if they want something 3D printed or designed, or if anyone wants us to come to their school and do a demo for students or teachers, give us a call or drop us an email,” he said. “We’d be happy to hear from you.” Clark can be reached at 701-446-6151 or at jclark2300@hotmail.com.