A1 Technologies equally at home in both schools and industry

The show reinforced the company's strongly held belief that its range of products and technologies are so versatile that they are equally at home in schools and in industry. Martin Stevens, CEO of A1 Technologies, commented: "After five days on our stand, we were in no doubt about the success of the show for us. We saw some visitors from schools, colleges and education, but a high proportion of stand visitors had a major bias towards industry. When they heard the prices, they were stunned and then bowled over. For example, having seen 3D printers on other stands at well over £10,000, they were delighted that they could invest in the technology at £2,000 for a ready-built machine, and at below £800 for a kit." Visitors were encouraged to try the Cool Tool machining kits, turning some wood or aluminium, and using the jig saw, while others viewed the 4-axis CNC machine for under £2,000. Many attendees also tried the David laser scanner for themselves, and A1 said the feedback during the show suggested they were very impressed by its simplicity and capability, particularly at the price point of £320. Others tried the haptically-enabled Chameleon 3D design system, which, for under £500, is said to deliver real capability, ease of use and is "great fun to use."