TechShop Tokyo Features Roland DG Digital Tools for DIY Activities

Hamamatsu, Japan, April 22, 2016 – Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and 3D devices worldwide, today announced the installation of several of its products for use by members of the do-it-yourself (DIY) workshop and fabrication studio of the recently opened TechShop Tokyo in Japan.

TechShop is an international, open-access DIY workshop based in the US. A driving force behind the Maker Movement*¹, each TechShop location is equipped with professional-quality tools, making it easy for non-professionals and professionals alike to give form to their ideas. It also acts as an innovation hub, bringing together companies, ranging from startups to major corporations, as well as entrepreneurs, creators, students, investors, and local communities to engage and interact with each other.

As the first TechShop location in Asia, TechShop Tokyo opened in the Ark Mori building in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in April 2016. It is equipped with more than 50 different state-of-the-art tools including a total of five Roland DG devices to foster members' creative expression. With the VersaUV LEF-20 UV-LED flatbed inkjet printer, members can print vibrant color directly onto a wide range of substrates, including leather and film, as well as fabrics, plastics and three-dimensional objects. Users can create not only original goods but also customized models and prototypes. The MODELA PRO II MDX-540S mills a wide variety of materials including resin and non-ferrous metals for prototypes, snap-fit parts and all manner of 3D objects while the monoFab SRM-20 produces custom printed circuit boards for use in electronics manufacturing. With precision printing on a wide variety of metallic materials, the METAZA MPX-90 impact printer is ideal for adding value to products and parts by permanently imprinting logos, serial numbers and text.

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  Equipped with cutting-edge tools including several Roland DG digital devices, TechShop Tokyo makes it easy for people to give form to their ideas.

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  Two Roland DG MDX-540S mills are installed in a dedicated space for milling metals and other materials.

Following its beginning in 1981, Roland DG has been committed to developing innovative digital technologies, including the world's best-selling inkjet printers and 3D devices, under its vision of Transforming Your Imagination into Reality. Yoshihiro Yazawa, Roland DG general manager of 3D markets, Easy Shape Business Development HQ said, "In the more than 30 years since we launched the world's first desktop 3D milling machine, our 3D devices have been used by manufacturers for designing and prototyping, by schools for educating the next generation of designers and engineers, and by individual hobbyists for the creation of models. In recent years, Fab Labs*² and makerspaces*³ are using our machines to produce the creative works and new business ideas of individuals all over the world."

Shoichi Arisaka, President & Representative Director of TechShop Japan Limited, the operator of TechShop Tokyo, said, "We provide not only a facility for creators to work individually, but also a venue for co-creation and open innovation where diverse people refine ideas by sharing their knowledge. We believe that it will inspire individuals and company employees to create new projects that will change the world. Through TechShop Tokyo, we aim to expand the base of creativity in Japan as well as to shape the future of society where anyone can easily turn their ideas into reality."

Roland DG shares TechShop's concept of "BUILD YOUR DREAMS HERE" and plans to support the next generation of fabrication activities by providing innovative new digital tools that enhance people's creativity and expand the potential of fabrication.

*1 The Maker Movement is a cultural trend that places value on an individual's ability to be a creator of things using various analog and digital fabrication tools.
*2 A Fab Lab (Fabrication Laboratory) is an open workshop offering digital fabrication as well as analog tools with the aim to make "almost anything."
*3 A Makerspace is a community center or workshop that provides technology, manufacturing equipment and educational opportunities to the public.

For more information, contact:

Nami Shiokawa
+81 (0)53-484-1201
E-Mail：rdg-globalpr@rolanddg.co.jp