MakerBot is a pioneer in the retail 3D printing market and has recently opened up a store front in downtown Manhattan. The location is meant to showcase the company’s technology as well as the abilities of its printers. The store also sells incredible 3D models that have been printed using MakerBot’s 3D printers. The newly released Replicator 2 is also showcased, as the much improved version of the company’s previous printer allows clients more detailed 3D printing. The Replicator 2 also gives the user the advantage of printing out much larger objects than its predecessor.
MakerBot’s Replicator 2 is a little over $2000 and is aimed at professionals in the design industry. The retail locations being setup by 3D printer manufacturers like MakerBot and Shapeways are aiming at bringing the technology to regular consumers as well, as made evident by the New York flagship location. The metropolis has become the epicenter of the 3D printing which is interesting because new technologies usually start off in areas like California’s Silicon Valley.
3D printers have been largely ignored by technology venture capitalists thus far even though firms like Shapeways are making a lot of progress as they introduce new ways of doing business. Shapeways has taken the Amazon model and in doing so, do not sell their printers. Instead, the firm allows people to place their order with the company which then prints out the object in plastic, glass, metal or other materials and subsequently ship it to a given address. The consumer does not have to pay for a complete setup and rather simply pay for any objects they print. To accommodate demand the company is setting up a large facility on Long Island which will serve as a place to manufacture their products and also allow people to see exactly how the 3D printing process works.
To be fair, Silicon Valley is warming up to some 3D printing firms like Bespoke Innovations and Made In Space. Bespoke Innovations recently got bought up by 3D Systems and has a bright future ahead of it. A similar innovative firm named Made In Space may have a to wait a little while longer for its time in the spotlight. The company is working at perfecting 3D printing in zero gravity so that astronauts could print out whatever they need by doing it after they launch.
Mainstream printing companies like Hewlett Packard still do not seem interested in the technology although the potential cannot be ignored. HP has recently announced a re-seller program for commercial 3D printing systems but has no plans to develop and manufacture its own 3D printers.
Source: Business Week
Photo: MakerBot
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