Case Studies

B9Creations sat down with John Schneider, owner and operator of Dakota Optics, to learn more about how he’s leveraging additive manufacturing to run his business. John founded Dakota Optics in 2017 with the goal of providing high-quality Athlon Optics to hunting and shooting enthusiasts. Dakota Optics has expanded to promote additional American-made gun cleaning products and other firearm products, working with veteran owned/run companies whenever possible. John is a 24-year United States Army...

Mitch Roush graduated from Gem City College in Jewelry-Diamond Setting and Design in 2012, and launched into a successful career as a jeweler, bringing quality, custom pieces to life at The Jeweler's Bench in Newton, Iowa. 

It all started just three years ago, as John and Karen Boyd’s son, who has Down syndrome, was preparing to graduate from high school. He would soon cross the threshold into adulthood, and the devoted parents worried that the opportunities available to him might be limited – so, the pair dedicated themselves to creating one for him. Karen Boyd left her job and assisted John in bringing Boyd’s Toys, a boutique miniature model company, to life.

Brady Neiles, who works for South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, devotes himself to the conservation of wildlife, fisheries, and state parks of the Western Great Plains – currently, he is dedicated to safely tracking wildlife. The current method of tracking juvenile animals involves surgically implanting a radio transmitter into their bodies – which can lead to injury, migration to other areas of the body, and even fatalities in some instances. When it was decided that Game, Fish & Parks wanted to...

Duane Langenfeld started doing hail damage and paintless dent repair over twenty years ago. In 2011 he started his life's work, Jabuti Hail, based out of Rapid City, South Dakota. The paintless dent repair industry relied on 3 main techniques - until Duane had a better idea. Enter Ding Tool - Duane's brand-new company and end-use tool of the same name that increases efficiencies up to 30%, turning over jobs more quickly, growing revenue, and adding profit to the bottom line. The B9 Core Series...

Pairing craftmanship with business savvy, powered by the B9Creator 3D printer, Jill Kenik has watched her company, Acropolis Studios, grow from a startup to success, even launching her first-ever service bureau arm this year.

B9Creations sat down with veteran bench jeweler turned 3D printing master, John Haynes, to talk about his 2018 AGTA Spectrum Award-winning piece – a platinum Solar Blossom ring featuring a 14.3 ct. orange Zircon accented with tsavorite Garnets and Diamonds.

Some roots run deep, threading through generations until they become embedded in a culture itself. That’s the story of Meghan Proctor. A story begun over a century ago when the Navajo tribe brought silversmithing to the Southwestern United States. It is in this tradition that Meghan’s father learned his craft from a jeweler in the Navajo Nation, a reservation nestled in northwestern New Mexico. A tradition Meghan herself entered at the age of six, taught at home by her father. And it is in this...

Though Alan Buttler's passion for model making has been lifelong, making a business of it was a bit more accidental. A bold move to invest his life savings in the B9Creator 3D printer helped launch his company, Modelu 3D, to great acclaim. Now, with his recent upgrade to the B9 Core Series, Alan sees nothing but success ahead.

Counterfeiting is predicted to drain US $4.2 trillion from the global economy by 2022, and can negatively affect virtually every economic sector, often with fatal consequences. Not only is currency a target for counterfeiting, but also pharmaceuticals, legal documents like bank notes, high-priced art, historical artifacts, consumer electronics, and even wearable apparel and accessories. In response, huge steps are being made by South Dakota School of Mines and Technology researchers and...