Václav Muchna wants to shatter the barriers that keep 3D printers from reaching mass adoption.

Muchna is the founder, CEO, and chairman of the board for Y Soft Corp., a global print solutions company based in the Czech Republic. The North American headquarters is located in Grapevine, where much of the company’s research and development for its U.S. customers takes place.

One of the biggest problems for 3D printers is the inability for schools and businesses to track costs. The dollars that go into a 3D printer often fall into a black hole with no way to tell who printed what and how much it cost. 

“The majority of the time they [schools]are afraid to allow students to use the printer because it’s not managed,” Muchna said.

3D PRINTER MANAGEMENT SOLUTION

Y Soft’s solution assigns dollar amounts to individual users, projects or teachers so the costs can be tracked.

The company took the same print management tools they developed for traditional printers and applied them to 3D printers. The print job is stored in a cloud and can be printed on any 3D printer within the network. The user just needs to swipe a badge to access their profile.

“The job will follow you to use whatever device you want to use. It will make sure it’s locked and secure.” VÁCLAV MUCHNA

The system can also be tied to a PayPal account.

A security feature helps prevent someone else from stealing a product from the 3D printer.

“The job will follow you to use whatever device you want to use. It will make sure it’s locked and secure,” Muchna said.

Y Soft has its own app so users can scan QR codes [Quick Response Code] on the printer, which pulls up their profile and allows them to control the printer from their mobile device. A QR code is a type of matrix barcode.

The company will soon add a feature to the app that shows a live view of what’s going on inside the 3D printer, allowing users to track the progress.

Print jobs can be stored in the cloud and accessed from anywhere around the world.

“We can migrate your print job to a Japanese server and deliver it to the printer there,” Muchna said. “We have many customers who are using this on a global basis.”

NORTH TEXAS IS GREAT FOR ENTREPREUNERS

Y Soft first moved into the North American market in 2009 when it acquired Xpert Image in Keller. That office was cramped, had no windows and was out of the way, Muchna said. He relocated the company to Grapevine near the junction of Texas 360 and Texas 121 so he could be closer to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

“From my entrepreneurial experience from all around the world, the regulations, the taxation is business friendly.”
VÁCLAV MUCHNA

That way, Muchna and his team can catch direct flights all over the world to Y Soft’s 16 offices on five continents.

“The D/FW connectivity on a global basis is fantastic,” Muchna said.

Y Soft has a partnership with Xerox, which markets the printing solutions on their products.

“This is a fantastic relationship that basically opens up the market,’ Muchna said. “It’s a huge acknowledgment because this big American company says the Czech technology plus the U.S.-based support we’ve built here is top notch.”  

He added that Texas is a great place to do business.

“From my entrepreneurial experience from all around the world, the regulations, the taxation is business friendly,” Muchna said. 

Delivering what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, every day. Get the Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.