3D Printing System’s UP Plus 2 3D Printer has taken out the DesignBuild Innovation Award as the Melbourne event wraps up. 

Architecture and Design recently and exclusively revealed the finalists for the awards—the top 16 new and innovative products which were then showcased at DesignBuild’s Innovation Alley exhibit. 

Responsible for Australia’s bestselling Desktop 3D printer, the UP Plus 2 garnered over 65 per cent of the votesby the visitors at DesignBUILD to receive the Innovative New Product Award. . 

The UP Plus 2 model is engineered to configure auto leveling, and has an inbuilt automatic height sensor and improved 3D print spooling speed. 

Exhibition Manager Ali Mead congratulated 3D Printing Systems on the achievement, adding that Innovation Alley continues to be a popular feature with visitors and exhibitors. 

“The feedback from exhibitors is very positive, with visitors browsing the new products in Innovation Alley and then bee lining directly to the stand to see the product in action.” 

“That’s exactly how Innovation Alley was designed to work, making it a great platform to showcase new products to the industry,” she said. 

Watch the UP Plus 2 model in action here:

The Top Tradie Competition, presented by Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicles Laverton, was also awarded on the final day. The prize pack was worth over $2,000, and Peter from Designedge Homes took home the prizes with his tip: “when screwing into old hardwood timber, put soap into the thread of the screw before screwing into timber.”

The DesignBuild exhibition was held at the Melbourne Convention on 2 – 4 April, and the series hosted 16 seminar sessions ranging from industry insights to the future of sustainability. 

One of the highlights for the event was the Sustainability seminar hosted by ABSA Chair Sid Thoo who, according to DesignBuild, inspired a sold out audience. 


Thoo commented during his speech that the word ‘sustainable’ had lost its meaning. 

“We need to make it mean something again,” he said to the booked out seminar theatre. 

“Sustainability is not an optional extra: it’s more like a steering wheel than a sunroof,” he commented. 

^ABSA Chair Sid Thoo. Image: thefifthestate.com

Sid then turned the responsibility of sustainability back to industry professionals, adding that it is ultimately a moral choice, asking –“are we ethical enough to justify its importance?” 

He closed his talk by calling sustainability “a lifetime journey”, and said he was excited by the industry’s migration towards an integrated approach. 

DesignBuild will reopen in Sydney next year from 28 – 30 April at the Sydney Showground, Olympic Park. 

For more information, visit www.designbuildexpo.com.au.