A 24-year-old graduate who invented an ultra-fast 3D printer as a hobby has referenced his Maltese roots by launching it on YouTube with a film detailing the process of printing a model of Valletta’s Siege Bell.

Jacob Lord’s Construct 1XL printer completed the model of the memorial in under 40 hours, a task his Maltese mother and business partner, Therese says could take competitors two weeks to achieve.

The UK-based computer games and software engineering graduate first got a 3D printer for his 18th birthday but began to design his own because he was not happy with the features of those on the market.

“He wanted to make a printer that was not just fast but also reliable, with quality prints. And he achieved just that,” Therese, a granddaughter of renowned author Mikiel Spiteri, said.

While constantly upgrading his printers for best performance, Jacob’s first breakthrough was switching acrylic brackets to 4mm steel.

A COVID mask revelation

His mother, who is from Msida, funded all the research and development of the product through her own savings and helped found Seraph Technologies Ltd in 2020.

The mother-and-son team realised how fast the invention was when it was used to help print headbands for COVID-19 face shields to help with a shortage in the UK.

“In practice, they (the competitors) were making a single face shield every 30 to 40 minutes while Jacob’s homemade printer took just 11 minutes,” Therese, who is based in Lincoln, said.

“It was at this stage that we realised how amazing it was.”

The Warwick Manufacturing Group from the University of Warwick carried out third-party validation checks on the printer, testing it against competitors from industrial computers to other hobbyists.

It found the Construct 1 version of the printer matched the speed of only one other printer and was up to double the speed of its nearest competitors and triple the speed of the slowest printers tested.

“No one wants to wait multiple days for a large print to complete. We aimed to make our printers as versatile as possible, providing fast layers with a large nozzle, saving up to 40 per cent average print time,” Therese said.

Now Construct3D, a trading name of Seraph Technologies, has used Malta as its launchpad, after it unveiled its printer at the TCT 3Sixty show in Birmingham in June.

“We were overwhelmed with the response,” said the mum-turned-company director.

It took almost 40 hours to 3D print the Siege Bell.

The company has decided to release the invention on YouTube through channels heavily subscribed by the global 3D printing community.

YouTuber Joe Casha agreed to review the product for his 85,000 subscribers on the Breaks’n’Makes channel that inspired the Lords to enter the 3D printing world.

The company secured a grant to pay towards the cost of the flights and accommodation of US YouTube star Joel Telling, known as the 3D Printing Nerd, so he could come to Malta to review the product for his 556,000 subscribers.

Telling was joined by his producer, David Tobin.

The Siege Bell was scanned and 3D printed to be used in the film.

The idea is to use the reviews of their printer to support their crowdfunding Kickstarter campaign to be launched in November.

Their story ties the UK and Malta through three generations, Therese said, referring to her grandfathers, Spiteri, also known as Kilin, and naval chief shipwright John Grech BEM.

“It is a shame that they are not still with us to see what their great-grandson has managed to achieve,” his proud mother said.

This Japanese mask required a quarter of the almost 14 hours it would take other printers to be created by Construct 3D.