Truly spectacular news today: Staples, one of the leading office supply retailers in the USA announced it would begin selling 3D Systems’ entry level personal 3D printer, The Cube. This is quite simply the single largest 3D printer retail move to date by any 3D printer manufacturer.
The printer will be priced at USD$1299, the same price as sold directly by 3D Systems. While The Cube will be available only at an unspecified limited number of Staples locations by the “end of June”, it will be available for order “immediately” on Staples web site.
This follows another breakthrough announcement by Staples when they launched a 3D print service in Europe based on MCOR 3D paper printing technology. It appears that Staples wishes to provide the cutting edge of technology in more ways than one.
Only a few years ago the notion of finding a 3D printer in your local office supply store would have been ludicrous. But today, it really happened. What was particularly striking was finding listings for various Cube supplies at Staples’ website. It’s real, folks.
More than likely this will generate a massive boost in sales of The Cube for 3D Systems in a way no other personal 3D printer manufacturer could follow. Even MakerBot, with its now 200 staff, does not have the manufacturing capability to keep up with the volume of orders that could come from a Staples-like reseller deal.
How this will affect the rest of the 3D printing industry is uncertain, but there will be effects. The Cube’s sales could rise far above every other 3D printer, putting it in a position to set standards and expectations among the public. Spin off effects could mean advanced users may leap from The Cube to other options, driving up sales everywhere.
But when can we buy a CubeX at Staples?
Frank, so what is your opinion on man's invention of the wheel or ability to make fire.
Or the fact that we achieved the ability to leave our planet.
I see you are an avid computer user, how do you think we got this far if everyone has opinions like yours. technology growth is the key to the survival of you and this planet.
Rock on Inventors…..
From the Cubfy Website:
Cubify Sustainability Program
By its very nature 3D printing is a sustainable technology empowering 3D Systems printers to produce affordable products ā accessories, jewelry, toys, home decor, everyday items ā one layer at a time using only the necessary amount of material required for each part with near zero waste in an energy efficient process.
Both our Cube and CubeX 3D printers use eco-friendly plastics that can be recycled, repurposed or composted responsibly. 3D Systems invites all Cubify consumers to partner in creating a greener and cleaner world one printed part at a time by participating in its Cubify Sustainability Program:
Cartridge Recycling: Send your Cube and CubeX empty cartridges back to us and receive a $5 discount per cartridge you send back for future cartridge purchases. You can send cartridges to our Herndon, VA and Clevedon, UK locations using the label that comes with each cartridge. You can also bring back empty cartridges to our monthly meet ups that are hosted at our New York City and San Francisco centers, or to any of our 30 locations worldwide. Be sure to keep the address label that comes with each cartridge whether you ship or drop off empty cartridges for recycling.
Plastics Recycling: Send your used PLA and ABS printed parts to our Herndon, VA or Clevedon, UK locations or drop them off at the meet ups hosted at our New York City and San Francisco centers. We will properly and responsibly compost, recycle, and reuse your returned plastics parts as a renewable source to manufacture new cartridges reducing both raw materials consumption and the waste stream.
Frank, there was someone working on a ABS recylcing machine, it ground up ANY plastic and extruded new filament that you could use in the printer. I forget the link but search 3d printer recycler or something along those lines.
GREAT NEWS! Actually, 3D Systems is the only 3D printer manufacturer to offer plastics and cartridge recycling. Check it out!
Cubify Sustainability Program:
http://cubify.com/cube/recycling_program.aspx?tb_cube_recycling
It's too bad that these things are going to appear in consumer space before an infrastructure to handle 3D printer waste recycling was built out, but I guess it was inevitable. The proliferation of plastic garbage that will result from the adoption of 3D printing at the consumer level is going to make the current floating plastic garbage dumps in our oceans look like a minor annoyance in comparison. So long, sea life. It was nice knowing you.