Technology has changed many aspects of our lives, and it seems that nearly every day we’re hearing about new innovations such as ChatGPT. While the horse industry is known to evolve more slowly than others, one entrepreneur is on the fast-track to becoming a pioneer in equine transport. Brad Heath is the owner of Double D Trailers, based in Wilmington, North Carolina, which began manufacturing horse trailers in 1997, and he is working on designing and creating the first horse trailer made by a 3D printer.
That may sound like a far-fetched idea, but the advancements in three-dimensional printer technology will one day make this possible. As to why anyone would want to make a 3D printer horse trailer, there are some advantages. For starters, there’s a low carbon footprint compared to traditional trailer manufacturing because 95% of the components are printed in-house. The 3D printer also uses recycled materials, largely polycarbonate (commonly referred to as PC), which be sourced from material made from plastic water bottles and other consumer products. A 3D printer also virtually eliminates supply chain woes that plagued many industries during the pandemic and are still problematic.
But according to Heath, those are only part of the reason he is choosing to pivot to 3D trailers. “The real reason is the ability to create something unique, and to improve on what is currently available,” he says.