Unsurprisingly, Prusa Research announced the end of production for their very popular MK3S+ 3D printer.
This desktop device propelled the company to the top of the 3D printer hill, as it offered a compelling combination of reliability, service, print quality and reasonable cost.
The company first introduced the MK3 device way back in 2017, fully seven years ago! The machine was an evolution of their previous MK2 device, which at the time was the product that launched Prusa Research into the top echelons of desktop 3D printing.
The MK3 used learnings from the MK2 and improved system performance in a variety of ways. Those improvements didn’t stop, as the MK3 underwent a series of enhancement “bumps” over its lifecycle. This ended with the MK3S+, one of the most popular desktop 3D printers in history.
Now that all comes to a natural close. Prusa Research founder and CEO Josef Průša said:
“It’s time to say our warmest goodbye to it. We will stop offering the MK3S+ assembly kit in our eshop on February 29th, 2024 and the assembled printers will be available only until the stocks last.”
I encourage you to Průša’s post, as it includes quite a bit of the fascinating history behind the development of the popular MK3S+.
Why do this now? There are several reasons.
First, Prusa Research launched a successor machine, the MK4, about a year ago. Like its predecessor, the MK4 has undergone enhancements over the past year, and now operates as a reliable high speed 3D printer.
Second, the MK3S+ was so popular that even though the MK4 was available, Prusa Research customers still wanted to buy the older machine. This could be from operators of large print farms that wanted to stock up on identical equipment, but also the machine had a tremendous reputation.
Third, Prusa Research faces stiff competition from several other parties. Most notably, Bambu Lab’s devices offer high speeds and good print quality at prices somewhat lower than Prusa Research’s.
It may be that facing such competition Prusa Research needs to consolidate operations and focus on their current and future products. Shutting down MK3S+ production means they can redirect resources towards MK4 production — or something else we don’t know about yet.
Finally, I suspect this move is partly influenced by the increasing focus on high speed 3D printers. Since Bambu Lab introduced their high speed devices, other competitors have had to launch their own high speed equipment.
Many have done so, and most people are, or soon will be, exposed to high speed FFF 3D printing. Once someone sees how fast these machines operate, there will be no going back to slower equipment like the MK3S+.
The time for the MK3S+ has passed, and it’s time to move on.
Via Prusa Research
