Frome: an ideal place for innovation

A LOCAL company is combining Frome’s artistic prowess with technological innovation, helping to place it at the forefront of the emerging 3D printing industry. 

Faberdashery is a small but energetic Frome company that provides material for 3D printing, a recent and rapidly developing market. 3D printing is the process of building a three dimensional object from components printed by a ‘fabber’ or 3D printer. Patterns can be chosen and downloaded from the internet, and then printed and assembled at home.

The past five years has seen the price of printers reduce from the £100,000 mark to under £500, making it much more accessible to individuals. Faberdashery’s technical director Andrew Dent explains, “The dream is that you’ve got a tiny factory in every bedroom, producing different products and ideas. There’s been an explosion of interest from artists and individuals. You are making your own product – you can print out a case for your mobile phone by going online, choosing your design, and hitting print.”

Based in Christchurch Street West, Faberdashery provide a wide range of high quality filaments, the base material used to create your own products. The business was set up by three Bath University graduates, who saw Frome as the perfect place for their venture. From sparkling metallics to muted neutrals, Faberdashery sells filaments by the metre to give customers the option to chose exactly how much they need.

Clare Cunningham, creative director explains, “People are doing some amazing stuff with their printers. At Faberdashery we want to support their innovations by providing them with the best materials to work with. Already Faberdashery has surpassed current industry standards for filament tolerances and is currently working with some of the most highly respected experts in the industry, to bring out more conceptual materials alongside new and exciting colours. We are confident that there will be a market for these as the 3D print community is one that naturally embraces innovation and takes pleasure in pushing the boundaries.”

Andrew says that Frome, which its artistic reputation and enthusiasm to embrace new ideas and innovations, is the perfect place for the company. “Although we ship all across the world, we’re really proud of being based in Frome, and all of our supply chains are based in the South West. We love it here, there are a few core values that really matter to us. What has amazed me is the level of entrepreneurship in Frome – we talk to lots of people who, like us, started out in a bedroom. The South West is a hot spot – a lot has come out of Bath University and the local area, including Frome.”

You can find out more about Faberdashery at www.faberdashery.co.uk