This iPhone mockup is 3D-printed – from waste paper! The Irish company Mcor has found an interesting twist when it comes to new printing materials – it simply uses Ye Goode Ole paper for rapid prototyping.

Quiet, non-toxic, environment-friendly and safe: that’s not exactly what you think of when it comes to 3D printing. Instead of PLA or ABS the “Mcor Iris” makes use of regular A4 Standard Office or US Letter Standard Paper – also pre-used paper is possible.

A tungsten carbide blade cuts out each layer of the model with every sheet of paper.  Each layer is then glued to the next with a separate glue head. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black pigments are used to apply the color to the paper. This technique allows more than a million colors to be printed; so the Iris will be mainly interesting for small offices who want to make photorealistic models. It also brings down cost per Model about 95 per cent in competing technologies, as Mcor states. The ongoing cost should about one-fifth that of any other 3D printing technology. Even with paper you can make pretty sturdy models. Also, the resolution is pretty good: With 12 microns each in the X- and Y-axis and 100 microns  in the Z-Asis you can make pretty detailled models.

If you want to know more details, you find more information at the Mcor Website.