Petr Bláha: From the Merkur kit to 3D printing

Petr Bláha, meet

Petr Bláha – ambassador, popularizer of 3D printing together with Plastenco and master in his field, who was at the birth of the printing community in the Czech Republic. He has many activities to his credit, thanks to which this topic has gained a space for visibility and improvement in our country. It started with a regular afternoon session called „Creative 3D Workshop,“ where people interested not only in 3D printing gathered. This is also where the idea of organizing a weekend nationwide meeting was born – the idea turned into realization and 3Dexpo was created – a place for all 3D printing enthusiasts to show everything they can do.

Printers, makers and those interested in additive technologies, get together!

Petr Bláha is the founder of 3D Arena, which brings together those interested in additive technologies from all over the Czech Republic and organizes 3Dexpo for professional printers and makers. Thanks to his personal approach and careful preparation, he has long been able to bring interesting content not only in the form of exhibits, but also at the expert lectures that are part of the concurrently organized professional conference. Petr Bláha himself highlights his DIY enthusiasm, skill and ability to improvise in the Czech printing community. „Without these qualities, the global 3D printing industry would certainly not be where it is today. Here it is absolutely necessary to mention Josef Průša, who thanks to these qualities simplified a very complicated design in 2009. And once there was a Czech 3D printer, the rest was basically just a matter of time,“ says Bláha.

Petr and Plastenco or 2P, which we enjoy

Bláha has been interested in technology since he was a child, and as he says with exaggeration, his first „3D printer“ was a 2D recorder from the Merkur kit. My first real interest in 3D printing dates back to somewhere in 2012 when I first read about reprap printers, which I was very interested in, but there wasn’t much information back then. About six months later, I came across a person who offered me printed parts for building the Průša i2 by complete accident and I was hooked,“ adds Bláha.

After his first enthusiasm for simple 3D printers, he decided to build his own design, which yields a stable frame, so today he prints on his own, very precise, machines. Through optimization, he increases the quality of printed output, saves on material costs and reduces 3D printing time. This is also where the support for sustainability comes in. It can work precisely with 100% recycled filament. And that’s what we enjoy too. Petr Bláha and Plastenco – a collaboration that makes sense to us. We went into it together and created such beautiful projects. For example:

💚Optimization of3D model for Epigames game (box and figures) and complete 3D printing

💚Pla(s)teosaurus – a shared 3D printing project. Sculpture placed in the National Museum.

Pla(s)teosaurus, Fortemix

💚Plastenco signatureprint optimization

💚3Dprinting of many Plastenco projects – magnets, earrings, games

 

What’s next?

Now Petr Bláha is focusing on preparations for the 8th edition of 3Dexpo, which was supposed to be the tenth edition this year. However, due to a two-year hiatus, there was a slippage that will have to be made up, because although the fair could not take place, things around 3D printing went on and in many cases accelerated thanks to the covid. Think of the printing of headbands for paramedic shields, filter adapters, drape clips, or bias strip folders for seamstresses sewing drapes.

„The preparation of the fair itself is a lot of organizational work, which includes, among other things, communication with exhibiting partners, preparation of expert lectures and the accompanying program, so I expect that I won’t have much time for anything else during those three months. But if I did, I would like to devote myself to further improvements of my printers,“ concludes Bláha.

On behalf of Plastenco, we wish him every success not only in his printing career and thank him for our mutual cooperation, which is a pleasure for us. 💚