As a former simulation educator with Queensland Health, Zachary Buxton, the founder of SIM3D, saw firsthand the challenges healthcare teams faced. Training equipment often failed to meet clinicians’ needs, and the high costs of traditional manikins left many educators resorting to inconsistent and unsustainable DIY solutions.
SIM3D emerged to address this need, focusing on creating realistic, durable models co-designed with clinicians. Unlike traditional designs developed without understanding healthcare realities, SIM3D’s models are tailored to the practical and operational challenges of clinical training.
Making a difference
Zachary and co-founder Chris Speirs of SIM3D are on a mission to make high-quality procedural training accessible to all healthcare services, from major metropolitan hospitals to rural and remote teams. By reducing costs and increasing training opportunities, their work ultimately benefits patients.
The company’s durable, repairable, and reusable models allow services to train more frequently without exceeding budgets. Co-designed with clinicians, these tools reflect real-world practices, ensuring training is both practical and effective.
While SIM3D supports large tertiary centres, Zachary and Chris are particularly passionate about helping rural and remote teams, which often face resource constraints. Their solutions aim to lift the standard of clinical training, reduce uncertainty around rare procedures, and foster a culture of continuous upskilling.
Proud milestones
Over the past year, SIM3D has celebrated several milestones. One of the most rewarding moments was seeing their designs, created with customers, come to life. Watching a senior clinician pause mid-procedure to exclaim, “Oh wow – that is so real! This reminds me so much of the first chest tube I put in years ago!” validated their work.
Another highlight was providing equipment for three workshops at the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Annual Scientific Meeting. Over 100 emergency medicine doctors used SIM3D’s models during the event, showcasing their impact on a national stage. Reflecting on this success, Zachary and Chris marvelled at how far the business had come in just 12 months, with government funding paving the way for even greater achievements.
Ignite Ideas funding: A catalyst for growth
The Ignite Ideas fund is a transformative opportunity for SIM3D, enabling the business to scale from a small operation to a Queensland-based manufacturing and innovation enterprise.
With this support, SIM3D can expand sales, boost local production capacity, strengthen intellectual property protection, and bring its training systems to more hospitals and education providers.
The funding from Ignite Ideas will support SIM3D to further develop the new HALO PREP product. HALO PREP is a groundbreaking modular, 3D-printed manikin platform that allows clinicians to practise multiple critical procedures—including chest tube insertion, needle decompression, pigtail drain, MAC line insertion, ultrasound-guided nerve block, and pericardiocentesis—all on one model.
The ultimate goal is simple yet impactful—building training tools that reduce costs, improve patient care, and provide cost certainty for health services. By making these tools accessible to the teams who need them most, SIM3D is set to transform clinical training and healthcare outcomes for Queenslanders.
With Ignite Ideas funding as a springboard, SIM3D is ready to continue its journey of innovation, collaboration, and meaningful impact in the healthcare industry.
Last updated: 24 Mar 2026