Overview of the leading companies in the field of 3D-printing services Bashny.Net

I have the impression that in Russia there is a stereotype that earn a 3d-printer can be only two ways:
1) to become a dealer of international companies / create their own production 3d-printers
2) buy some 3d-printer and take orders from architects / medical / military

This post will focus on the fact that a lot more opportunities, "price of entry" into the market for a particular designer person less than it seems, and the future, which is distributed / spread unevenly and not entirely in Russian, is already here.

Under the cut you will find a brief overview of the three giants of European and American industry 3d-printing that does not specialize in the production of its own 3d-printers, and develop the community, create & quot; marketplace & quot ;, are the grounds for startups, designers, and so on. After a review of the "big three" should be a review of the most interesting projects created around these giants.

Some projects have comments Konstantin Ivanov ( consst ), who visited the European ( 3DPrintShow ) and American ( Inside 3D Printing ) conferences.

Three giant in the field of 3D printing marketplaces in the US and Europe h4> www.shapeways.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapeways
The company was organized in 2007 in the Netherlands (Latino business incubator Philips), but the headquarters is in New York. The company employs 90 people. At the moment, attracted about $ 40 million investment. Has two full production in the Netherlands and in New York. Number of ordered products exceeded миллион.

Constantine: «World leader and the leader in the US market, the company Shapeways. Strategically located its headquarters near Queens, NY, becoming a mecca of creative people. For quite a decent history of its existence, Shapeways has collected a huge community of designers at the end of 2013 - 300 000 people. Of course, the number of active and prolific designers are much less, but the total number of items on the Marketplace, and can not fail to impress.

With each of the active managers designers community Shapeways (they are called community managers, we have in Russia is rather uncommon) work hard, communicate and help resolve any issues: quality photography of the product placed on the Marketplace, correction 3d-models. In the general community - is the heart Shapeways.

A huge database of knowledge collected from them in the forum and in sections Tutorials Online allows you to find the answer to almost any question arising at work with 3d-models under seal. Fount of knowledge.

Part of immigrants from Shapeways (former community manager, production manager) now create their own separate businesses in 3d-printing. Shapeways encourages and develops entrepreneurial culture.

However, competitors are very, very not like Shapeways for dumping the market. It is, their prices on 3d-printing of a variety of materials are almost always below the competitors from Europe. Can afford, with so many involved investments)

Shapeways creates and develops a great powerful API for developers of various online kastomizatorov 3d-models that through them and can make. As a result, in addition to the Marketplace, they work as a production and API, which is very convenient.

In Russia they have completely stopped shipping since last year, citing problems at customs. By the way, I must say that the experience of order 3d-printing them in NY is not perfect: the delivery time samples are disrupted, had to write in support, but the issue was quickly resolved. » Blockquote>
A little bit of video and articles in English for a deeper acquaintance
Video about the company. Keanu Reeves is also there.



Number of unique items made from 2008 to 2013

Founder Peter Weijmarshausen


Статья in Forbes (10.10.2011)
Статья in Wired by Bruce Sterling (03.10.2011)
Article in BusinessInsider (19.12.2012)

Speech by Peter Weijmarshausen on TechCrunch


Another presentation Peter Weijmarshausen



www.sculpteo.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculpteo
French startup, launched in 2009 has attracted several million investment, has a small park their equipment
Strengths: Very interesting online service, with opportunities not only to analyze your model, but its online prepare for printing. There is a mobile application 3DPcase

Constantine: «The guys from France, started after the appearance on the market of Shapeways. A small team, his small production (industrial 3d-printers) in Paris.

Like many other players in the market, some of their production facilities to outsource. This is logical, as the keep under control a huge production, including metal, ceramics, etc. - Quite invoice history.

Quite often you can find them at exhibitions. Last time communicating with them at exhibitions in London and 3DPrintShow Inside3DPrinting in New York, the guys share their views about the pace of development of the market in Europe and the US and a little more about the competition in Europe, where there is an active and Shapeways.

The main focus of the company Sculpteo - this is the application of their own online software for the calculation, and even remedial work on the preparation of 3d-models for printing. It is very impressive, this does not make any of the competitors. For comparison, Shapeways uses its software is only half, the second part - the software company Netfabb.

Sculpteo is perfect for those who are already in many professional can work with 3d-models and uses 3d-printing for prototyping.

The team is also developing its API. Delivery to Russia, the assurance company director Clement'a they do, but in fact this can not be done. » Blockquote> More on Sculpteo Founder Éric Carreel
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Carreel

Speech Éric Carreel at TED French




www.technobuffalo.com/2012/04/01/want-to-print-in-3d-just-grab-your-ios-device-and-the-sculpteo-app/






i.materialise.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materialise_NV
The Belgian company, established in 1990 (sic!) Year.
The creators of "Mamontopodobnoy stereolithographic machine" (the print area of ​​2 meters x 0.7 meters x 0.8 meters)
Once led your blog Habré, with some quite useful articles, for example, translation of an article about the "industrial revolution» 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 .

Constantine: «Parent company Materialise established for quite some time, has an office in Belgium as well as, for example, in Ukraine. The main activity - is industrial prototyping, engineering, medical, aviation, etc. products.

However, the company has its consumer line, which was called i.Materialise. Also develops Marketplace and Community. If you look carefully, you will very much follow the example of their American colleagues, until the backup interface elements, which is quite logical - usability Shapeways is really very good.

Not so long ago launched the so-called boutiques, individual stores for selected designers. Continues to move toward konsyumerskomu segment.

A number of important advantages: its big production with the most experienced staff and a large number of different technologies, printers, and post-processing. Fully its software, which works well with models (but not better than it does Sculpteo). And, of course, API, they actively develop and connect to it more and more new partners.

Also offers the option of white label, for those companies who want to make their customers do not know where it comes manufacture their goods. » Blockquote> A little video about the projects Materialise Video from TED (in English)


How does the largest stereolithography machine


Print clothing

How to make money on the 3d-printing without 3d-printer h4>
 Aggregators:
3DHubs.com - allows registered owners of a 3d-printer in the database. Thus, it becomes possible for any person to find a nearest 3d-printer, or just the printer that is needed (worldwide).
Plus, they can collect useful statistics and publish monthly reports on trends . Take a commission 15-20%

Constantine: «with the founder of enough fresh startup 3dhubs introduced me to one of the investors of the London Fund, which invested in the same company. Brian and Bram come up and do a great international story that really makes life easier for those who need to print something "close to home».

Service operates worldwide, and even a little Russian. Guys attentive to client service inside, helping each client, if there are problems with printing someone from owners hubs. Very convenient.

Arriving at each new city or to the exhibition, they make so-called city unlock and open there new hubs with printers. So it was at exhibition in London last year. » Blockquote> < br />


makeXYZ.com
Draft Texas entrepreneurs. Allows to search for 3d-3d-printers and designers. Received an investment from Intel.

Standing on the shoulders of giants h4>
www.sols.co
Allows you to create customized insoles.

Constantine: «A perfect example of how developing inside a small startup companies, Founder Sols - Kegan Schouwenburg, caught the entrepreneurial spirit and the beginning of the project for the production of customized orthopedic insoles manufactured with the help of 3d-printing !

Kegan was one of those who made everything from scratch production Shapeways, and this truly great work.

Now her company raised for about $ 8 million investment from the same investors that invested in the Shapeways, and is actively developing its business. Moreover, for the manufacture of a framework for use of insoles polyamide (nylon) and produces all samples using Shapeways. Proper collaboration and cooperation. » Blockquote>


mixeelabs.com
Online application that allows you to create figurines (25 $), molecules , Keychains Dog , cufflinks and purses card .

Constantine: «The second story of business success 3d-printing also on the girl, a former employee of Shapeways. Nancy Yi Liang i> - founder kastomizatora various products Mixeelabs earns his brainchild and lives in New York.

In our last meeting with her, she told me how well things are going with the sale of its products from the site (80% of sales), with a slightly worse Marketplace Shapeaways (20% of sales), but first the viral effect gave her the most Sad Keanu , which she designed and well circulated everywhere.

Her project - a great example of how to come up quite interesting and the viral thing, you can earn it in the long run. » Blockquote>


joshharker.com
Joshua Harker - Artist, sculptor, musician, digital adventurer, imagination architect, troublemaker

Constantine: «Joshua Harker - a vivid example of how the sculptor of" an offline "began to apply in their work first digital technologies, 3d-modeling, and subsequently engaged in business and opened his own company, has developed the uniform and recognizable style (which is then copied by many others), and showed how to effectively apply new approaches in the design of a 3d-printing. » blockquote>
 Speech by Joshua Harker on TED


His project on KickStarter (in collaboration with Shapeways)


Mathematician's Dice


project on KickStarter (in collaboration with Shapeways)

independent project h4> www.mymo.is/

Constantine: Just lovely and simple online service for those who want to create for itself, such as personalized pendant made of metal. It's simple: enter the dates of your letters, you can see it looks like your product, choose a metal book.

I could not resist and decided that what we are worse, and will do at this. Here's the result: blockquote>



www.minetoys.com/
For all fans of Minecraft. Prints your character from the game.




www.twikit.com/
The service allows you to customize gifts and decorations made of plastic and metal.




nervous.com

Constantine: «Company Nervous practically gods in design things for 3d-printing, they are coming up with new forms and structures and constantly amaze.
In addition to the beautiful futuristic design, they came up with an incredible online piece , by which creates stunning kinetic structures directly in the browser, right before your eyes. All this is flexible and allows you to really make wearable objects made by a 3d-printing. Blockquote> Photos from the works Nervous System Octopussy I myself printed a year ago (otchet Habré )














Blokify.com
A mobile application that allows you to easily create a 3d-model and send it to the printer. Convenient to work with children.


Video and a couple of pictures

draw



materialize









WhiteClouds.com
"Send us your ideas (even on a napkin). We bring them to life. & Quot;


The company does not require that its customers are able to deal with a computer: you can send a sketch made by hand, and the company's specialists will transform it into a digital three-dimensional model, print it on a 3D-printer and send the finished product to the customer. Once in the company even sent a model out of cardboard and asked to print a copy of 3d-printer, and the order was executed.
Portfolio under spoiler











A little zombie:

Russian projects h4> About the situation in Russia eloquently following picture:


3D Printing Map of the World i>
a parable on the subject One company once sent a shoe salesman in African cities.
Shortly after arriving in Africa, he wrote to the office:
"Can you take me back. Here are all barefoot ».
They brought him back to his homeland.

Potam they sent another shoe salesman.
Almost immediately upon arrival at the office, he sends an urgent telegram:
"Send all the shoes, it is. Here are all barefoot! »

zdravprint.ru
Tools to create individual clips, which are printed on the 3D-printer, and are intended to replace the plaster at certain stages of recovery.

Constantine: «My good friend Fedor Aptekarev last Yandex Startup Camp has launched a project to create gypsum, using 3d-printing. With such a gypsum fracture can carry a little easier. » Blockquote>

What does the future h4> I Constantine: I'm glad you asked. Let's see what President said Epson. Something like: "Do your home 3d-printing plastic does not have much future. We will only do commercial 3d-printers. " He talks about the creation of the industrial model of the printer. Epson itself is going to develop industrial printers. And I fully agree with them.

My opinion is that this industrial 3d-printing technology that we use and we are able to really bring out the 3d-printing to a new level of consumption. Here you need to just say, that the head of the Epson says home printing, but only implies a technology FDM (melting plastic threads) as the most popular home technology 3d-printing. At the same time, we should not forget that after the patent on the SLA-technology (стереолитография), for example, there was quite a "home" printer Formlabs 1, which gives a very acceptable quality. Yes, of course it does not compare with the industry.