Solving problems, one layer at a time
Monday 24th August, 2026
A desire to help the people of Cornwall find solutions to problems was one of Cameron Collins’ main motivations for launching his own 3D printing, 3D scanning and designing business, Collins Creations 3D.
Entering his workshop in Higher Newham lane is a little like stepping into an eccentric scientist’s laboratory, as an array of printers whirr in the background, building up items layer by layer. Shelves heave with replicas and props from film sets and cosplay – swords, figurines, wearable items. Clocks count down the time to completion, anything from minutes to hours.
But Cameron’s customers range across a variety of fields, from medicine (a speculum for a natal nurse) to onshore and offshore mining companies. During our chat, a client turns up with his classic car; sometimes, it’s a matter of needing a part no one makes anymore.
How it works: Cameron starts with a scan which produces a point cloud on the computer, like “a digital ball of clay”. Printers then build items layer by layer using a variety of materials. These run 24/7, and can take anything from a few minutes to 30 hours. The finished product can then be spray painted with acrylics.
A clinician by background, Cameron practised both prosthetics (replacement limbs) and orthotics (apparatus to support a non-functioning limb, such as braces, calipers or splints). “I wanted to help innovate the industry I was in, and 3D printing and scanning technology were on the rise,” he recalls. “In contrast, traditional manufacturing methods seemed slow – for example, it was frustrating that paediatric turnaround times were unable to keep up with growing children when much faster and aesthetically pleasing, modern options were available in other parts of the UK.”
In 2017, Cameron struck out on his own and launched Collins Creations 3D from the Enterprise Space for Advanced Manufacturing (ESAM) in St Austell. He describes the next two years as a learning curve of “how to set up in business – and how not to.”
In 2020, the pandemic proved a turning point, when Cameron was able to offer a valuable service in the face of a shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE). “Covid was my saving grace,” he admits. “I began supplying bespoke PPE to workplaces including the NHS and hospitality industry. Suddenly things grew very quickly.”
Following this growth, the next business boom came with online sales and greater attention from local and international clients, especially in the film, theatre and cosplay arenas (for example, Dungeons and Dragons) which are now dealt with via the CC3DShop - look out for an image of Cameron modelling a very fetching Loki-horned crown.
Cameron has worked with the BBC and Amazon Prime on shows including Young Sherlock, and is currently designing and manufacturing the entire prop collection for this year's production of Aida by the Houston Grand Opera company.
The success precipitated a move to Newham Industrial Estate, to a unit with five times the space of his former premises. He now divides his time between B2B commissions and his own projects – the self-confessed “nerdier stuff”.
As I leave, Cameron points out a small, elegant sculpture of a dragon by local artist Christian Escalante Castillo. This is to be reproduced at a much larger size as part of Dark Cornwall's Kalan Gwav, a celebration of Cornish folklore and the arrival of winter at the National Trust property of Trelissick from October 17 to November 1.
This aligns with Cameron’s Celtic connections, being Manchester-born to a Cornish father and Scottish mother. One of the pulls of the business was that “I wanted to help Cornwall”. That’s exactly what is happening here in this unassuming warehouse in Newham.
Collins Creations 3D Ltd
Unit 1, Higher Newham Lane, Newham Industrial Park, TR1 2ST.
http://www.collinscreations3d.com
