WHEN entrepreneurs David Speight and Bob Bradley decided they needed a bigger 3-D printer they knew exactly what to do - print one!

The pair, who started their business Scaled in Rushey Platt in 2015, used their existing 3-D printer to create the parts for the larger one they needed for bigger jobs.

The new machine will allow them to print up to three times the size and five times faster and is due to be finished this week.

“We’re hoping to be able to do fewer and larger sections using the robot,” said David. “For structures in general the fewer sections you have to chop them into, the more rigid and stronger that structure will be.

“There are very few people printing stuff at this scale and using robots.

"So we’re unique. We’re feeling the momentum build and the more people see this with the printers running and the parts coming out they can see it can actually works.

“Historically 3-D printing has always been used for one-offs and prototyping because it’s relatively cheap and quick,” said Bob.

David added: “But when you start to compete with mass production techniques, 3-D printing simply hasn’t competed.

"We’re trying to change that. We think we can go fast enough to go from one-offs to hundreds by being cost effective, quicker and bigger than anybody else.”

The printing material, a starch-based polymer called PLA - is a biodegradable plastic - has so far been used to print a phone mast, a mannequin, and the mould for a carbon fibre sports car panel.

Once completed they hope to print a 5m archway for use as a railway tunnel.

In a month the team also hopes to switch on a newly-upgraded robotic arm, capable of printing car-sized parts 45 times faster than the original

The pair built their first printer in November, which at the time was one of the largest in Europe, and by February had printed the parts for their first order - a full-size mannequin for a retail show.