Roland DG, a manufacturer of wide-format printers, cutters and engraving devices, among other things, announces that it is transferring its 3D business, which consists of the development and sales of 3D milling machines, 3D printers, engraving machines and photo impact printers, to a newly-established, wholly-owned subsidiary: DGSHAPE Corp.

DGSHAPE Corp. will begin operations on April 3.

Roland DG introduced the world’s first desktop-sized 3D milling machine back in 1986, and it has continued to develop 3D products since then that are used in applications such as creating product prototypes, educating students in product design, crafting custom items and one-off gifts, and even by individual hobbyists to create their own crafts.

Their machines are also big in the dental field, where they are used for fabricating dental prostheses such as crowns, copings and bridges. Dental sales, in fact, now make up 60 percent of Roland DG’s 3D business.

The company says that through its new entity it also plans to explore more business opportunities in the medical field.

For now, sales, service, and support for DGSHAPE will continue to be handled by Roland DG.