Berlin-based 3D print service Trinckle has made another announcement, and I’m beginning to see an interesting growth strategy at their company.
The company launched some years ago and provides the typical 3D print services you’d expect to find at a top-quality operation. Their announcement this week was a deal with German electronics retailer Conrad.
Conrad, if you’re not familiar is a chain of electronic stores across Germany, with an online shop that promises to deliver goods to you in literally two hours. It’s a progressive company that sells the latest electronics.
But the deal with Trinckle is to create a branded 3D print service for Conrad. In fact, you can hit their page here to see how it works. The service seems to be focused on low volume manufacturing, if you can read between the lines of their “advantages” (translated from German):
- No minimum order quantity, we can produce from 1 piece
- There is no surcharge for small quantities
- No setup or tool costs
- No need to invest in expensive manufacturing equipment
- Enormous price advantages, especially for small series
- Short production and delivery times
It’s an interesting idea, but I wonder if Conrad’s clientele are often looking for small volume manufacturing services; that might not be on the mind of typical electronics purchasers, but who knows.
However, if you look at other things Trinckle has done in the past while, there is a bit of pattern:
- They announced an online 3D model repair function
- They announced a partnership with TNT delivery service to offer 3D print services in multiple locations
- They showed a dynamic 3D modeling system to automatically generate 3D models for manufacturing
What does all this mean? I am beginning to suspect that the Berlin company is setting in deep roots to develop a strong relationship with manufacturers across their operating region. By having multiple outlets (TNT) and a widely viewed online storefront (Conrad), they can put their service in front of many clients, who may find the convenience of use substantial.
The challenge for any 3D print service is basic: a workshop with an array of industrial 3D printers must be kept busy as much as possible. Each 3D print service then differs in how they attempt to achieve that. Shapeways has focused on consumer and high-level designers; Sculpteo offers a wide variety of industrial 3D printing capabilities. And now Trinckle seems to be seeking the low-volume, high convenience market.
Via Trinckle
