Issue 10 2020

Printing Innovation 3D Folkes may now be recognised as Yorkshire’s leading 3D print and product design consultancy, but the passion-project come business venture was born in the bedroom of Managing Director, Ben Folkes’ student flat in Sheffield over five years ago. Having built his first 3D printer in his bedroom and attained a degree in mechanical engineering, Ben set up 3D Folkes in 2015. A team of product designers based in Sheffield, 3D Folkes specialises in 3D printing and Solidworks CAD software to create prototypes and batch production. 3D Folkes provides high quality, customer-focused product design service at scale, helping to realise the dreams of those bursting with ideas and innovations, but who are limited by the daunting process of launching these projects. 3D Folkes is making the process simple, so that people are able to have confidence in getting their products to market. Established by Ben Folkes in 2015 following the completion of his degree in mechanical engineering and the construction of his first 3D printer in the bedroom of his student flat, the company’s values have remained the same since its inception, even if their approach to living up to those values has changed. A focus on customer service and the quality of work they do, always done in the most ethical way. Sustainable practices are fundamental to 3D Folkes, so only recycled plastics are used to minimise the company’s carbon footprint. Although constantly looking at ways to improve their Quality Management systems to ensure the consistent delivery of high- quality work, 3D Folkes have found that customers nearly always comment on how friendly and reliable their service is. Committed to keeping their clients in the loop at every stage of the process, 3D Folkes lets clients know that they are in total control of their own projects and can rely on Ben and his team to carry out their vision. 3D Folkes work with a mixture of first-time inventors and established companies looking to expand their existing product lines, as well as doing a great deal of reverse engineering work for engineering companies. Every client is treated with the same level of care and respect, regardless of the size and scale of their project. Aug20424 A small but busy company, Ben relies heavily on his team. Working together in relaxed and comfortable environment that encourages creativity, the team also know when to pull together to accomplish complex tasks effectively and to a deadline. Attracting graduates in product design and CAD-related backgrounds, 3D Folkes has seen many of its team grow within the business. Operations Director, Max Vogtlander began as a volunteer intern in 2017 but has amassed many responsibilities as the business has developed and is now a soon-to-be-shareholder in 3D Folkes. Alongside Head Designer, Ben Keyser, the pair are vital to the running of business, and Ben Folkes considers them both crucial to the firm’s survival and success. While the national lockdown saw an initially substantial decrease in business activity for 3D Folkes, the company was on a strong footing to weather the storm with the help of government subsidies. The team used the time to make some improvements and changes to the company that had previously been put on the back burner, enabling 3D Folkes to come back even stronger when business began to return to the new version of normal. Things may still be uncertain for the UK economy, but 3D Folkes are continuing to reinvest in improving the quality of their work and increasing the services they offer, such as full colour printing. The company is also working to increase their brand awareness, investing some time in their social media presence so that Yorkshire-based designers and innovators know exactly where to come to realise the full potential of their ideas and inventions. Contact: Ben Folkes Web Address: www.3dfolkes.co.uk