As readers may recall, Desktop Factory – the startup that attempted to build a sub USD$5,000 3D printer – was recently acquired by 3D Systems, makers of not-sub USD$5,000 3D printers. We’ve been wondering what has transpired since the acquisition, and this week Desktop Factory’s former CEO, Cathy Lewis provided an update. Here’s the highlights:… Continue reading Desktop Factory – 3D Systems Update
desktopfactory
The World’s Largest Parts Service?
We received notification that 3D Systems, makers of various manufacturing devices, including the V-Flash and ProJet series of 3D printers and most recently acquirers of Desktop Factory, have done it again. From their press release, 3D Systems: … announced today that it acquired the assets of Acu-Cast Technologies, a leading provider of rapid prototyping and… Continue reading The World’s Largest Parts Service?
Desktop Factory Resurrected
We’ve been following the saga of Desktop Factory for quite some time, beginning with its promising start attempting to manufacture the first commercial high-quality 3D printer with a price less than USD$5,000. More recently though, they’ve had severe financial difficulties, possibly related to the economic climate of late. Last month CEO Cathy Lewis announced… Continue reading Desktop Factory Resurrected
Desktop Factory Ends. Or Begins?
We’ve written much about Desktop Factory over the past year and a half. They’ve attempted to build the first commercial 3D printer priced at less than USD$5,000. And they almost made it happen. Recently they’ve undergone severe financial issues that brought the company near to collapse. In fact, according to their most recent news… Continue reading Desktop Factory Ends. Or Begins?
Desktop Factory Crunched!
You might not have heard much from Desktop Factory lately, as they’ve been a bit preoccupied with a rather difficult problem. They’re a startup company intending on creating the world’s first quality desktop commercially available 3D printer for less than USD$5,000. They’re very close to completing their first model, but have run out of… Continue reading Desktop Factory Crunched!
Two Routes to Low Cost
Fluid Forms poses an interesting question: how to obtain an inexpensive 3D printer. They correctly point out the two possible courses of action for obtaining inexpensive 3D printing solutions: Commercial units, such as the Desktop Factory and MCOR printers. Open Source hardware solutions such as RepRap, Fab@Home and the recently announced MakerBot The problem,… Continue reading Two Routes to Low Cost
Desktop Factory Crunch!
Desktop Factory’s most recent status update has some rather dire news: they’ve reduced their spending to overcome a cash crunch. Specifically, they’ve postponed the long-awaited beta release of their sub-USD$5,000 3D printer until they can sort out the cash flow woes. Desktop Factory has had difficulties over the past year, and that’s something one would… Continue reading Desktop Factory Crunch!
Desktop Factory Update
Desktop Factory is a startup company seeking to build a usable 3D printer at a cost of less than USD$5,000. Their device is still under development, but we’ve seen some tantalizing evidence that they are getting closer to a release date, touted to be in 2009. They’ve recently issued a status update, as they usually… Continue reading Desktop Factory Update
Desktop Factory Test Sample Video!
BadBrad is back at it, and this time he’s somehow managed to infiltrate the secret Desktop Factory laboratories to try out the highly anticipated, world’s first sub-USD$5,000 3D printer. The object he chose to print was an iPhone case, and as you’ll see in the video, it’s a little bit rough around the edges. But… Continue reading Desktop Factory Test Sample Video!
Desktop Factory is Ponoko’d
Our friends at the revolutionary manufacturing service Ponoko recently interviewed Cathy Lewis, CEO of Desktop Factory, the company attempting to market a quality 3D printer for less than US$5,000. We’ve interviewed Ms. Lewis here, but Ponoko covered different areas. Some highlights we noticed: Desktop Factory believes their big opportunity lies in providing 3D technology to… Continue reading Desktop Factory is Ponoko’d
Berman Visits Desktop Factory
Our friend A. Michael Berman recently did an onsite inspection of Desktop Factory’s progress in their Pasadena labs. According to his post: I got a chance to make a brief visit to their office/lab in Pasadena a couple of weeks ago, and was very pleased to see the tremendous progress they are making. Long-time Fabbaloo… Continue reading Berman Visits Desktop Factory
Desktop Factory Update
Those amazing guys making the sub-$5,000 3D printer are still working hard to make their product perfect. Recently they issued an update on their progress, and here are the highlights as we saw them: They are “printing parts consistently and reliably” “We have not encountered any new or significant problems” “We have improved part quality… Continue reading Desktop Factory Update
We’re Not Big Enough!
The 3D Print market is clearly at a very early stage of development. As such, there are fewer buyers than in a mature market. This means the costs of R&D must be absorbed by those fewer buyers. In other words, it’s gonna be expensive until there’s a lot more of us. To put this in… Continue reading We’re Not Big Enough!
Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis, Part 2
Yesterday we posted part 1 of our interview with Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis, in which she discusses some of the key issues facing the start-up company. Today we conclude the interview: Fabbaloo: 3D printing is a new concept, foreign to many consumers. How will you go about educating the public? Or do you foresee… Continue reading Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis, Part 2
Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis, Part 1
Recently we had the opportunity to speak with Cathy Lewis, CEO of Desktop Factory, a company focused on delivering a breakthrough product for the 3D Print industry: an inexpensive desktop 3D printer suitable for use in small businesses, schools and even homes. The sub-USD$5000 device isn’t yet available, but CEO Cathy Lewis and team are… Continue reading Desktop Factory CEO Cathy Lewis, Part 1
Desktop Factory Update
Last week Desktop Factory’s periodic newsletter provided an update on their progress. For those who haven’t heard, Desktop Factory is a startup company that intends on producing a relatively high-quality 3D printer at a cost of less than USD$5,000. At this price point the device will become affordable by a much larger audience than today’s… Continue reading Desktop Factory Update
The Guy Behind The Company Behind DesktopFactory
There’s a great article interviewing Bill Gross, founder of IdeaLab. That’s the venture capital incubator company that hatched DesktopFactory, the makers of the first sub USD$5,000 3D printer. The highlights: IdeaLab is old! They’ve been around since BEFORE the dot.bomb bust! Evidently they must know how to incubate, having survived for so long The… Continue reading The Guy Behind The Company Behind DesktopFactory
DesktopFactory Reveals Future Pricing?
Some time ago Fabbaloo pointed out an interview with Ed Fries, CEO of FigurePrints (a new 3D service that can print out your World of Warcraft character in glorious 3D). Now ComputerWorld takes up the topic, and publishes yet another interview with Ed. But that’s not the interesting part. Buried within the story is a… Continue reading DesktopFactory Reveals Future Pricing?
DesktopFactory Still on Track
In their most recent newsletter, DesktopFactory provides an update on the development of their breakthrough 3D printer, the sub-USD$5000 125ci. Readers may recall DesktopFactory delayed production release of the device due to two issues. CEO Cathy Lewis wrote: we did receive feedback that our support structure removal and waste management needed some improvement. At the… Continue reading DesktopFactory Still on Track
DesktopFactory Wins Netxplorateur Award
The French Netxplorateur Forum has selected DesktopFactory as the recipient of their Netxplorateur of the Year award. DesktopFactory is one of only 10 of the 100 initiatives to receive the award. Cathy Lewis, CEO of DesktopFactory, said: “It is clear that Desktop Factory will forever change the way we think of ‘printing’ – from an… Continue reading DesktopFactory Wins Netxplorateur Award
DesktopFactory LOSES Innovator of the Year Award
Our favorite yet-to-be-seen device, the low-cost DesktopFactory 125ci 3D printer has lost out to Tangible Express as the recipient of the first annual “Rapid” Innovator of year award, as determined by the Low Volume Manufacturers Association. Who is Tangible Express? They are a 3D fabrication service, like many others. However, previous posts in Fabbaloo typically… Continue reading DesktopFactory LOSES Innovator of the Year Award
Three Three Dimensional Wishes for 2008
It’s that time of year when we must reflect on the past and look forward to the future. While there were many interesting developments in 3D printing during 2007, the most newsworthy item was far and away DesktopFactory’s announcement of their sub-$5000 3D printer. But what about 2008? What should we expect to see? We’re… Continue reading Three Three Dimensional Wishes for 2008
Considerations for 3D Printing
We frequently scan the Internet to find the latest on Fabbing, and lately we keep finding many postings regarding DesktopFactory’s sub-$5000 3D printer. We’re guilty of that ourselves.Many of these postings imply that 3D printing is going to be relatively straightforward. Just purchase the now-inexpensive printer and you’re good to go! But it’s not like… Continue reading Considerations for 3D Printing
Buy Your Own Fab – Today!
It’s getting dangerously close to that holiday season, and what better gift than your own fab? What, you don’t have $40,000 for a Z-Corp? Neither do we. Sure, we’ve heard about the DesktopFactory $5000 3D printer, but who’s seen them in the stores? Meanwhile, you could always build your own Fab@Home or RepRap 3D printer… Continue reading Buy Your Own Fab – Today!
3D Printing… on PAPER!
This one is a total surprise to me. I thought I had heard of all techniques for 3D printing – until today, when I read Deelip Menezes’ blog, where he pointed out Ireland-based Mcor Technologies. They make a 3D printer that uses paper as media: The Mcor Matrix desk top modeler can produce ready… Continue reading 3D Printing… on PAPER!
3D Trendwatching
Trendwatching.com has selected Desktop Fabbing (or as they call it, “Make It Yourself”, MIY) as one of their eight Important Consumer Trends to Watch in 2008. They mention the several 3D printing or fabbing services such as Ponoko and of course the omnipresent yet-to-be-seen-in-the-wild DesktopFactory USD$5000 desktop fab. Along with “MIY”, the seven other consumer… Continue reading 3D Trendwatching
DesktopFactory Wins Award
They won the award even before the product is released! Yes, DesktopFactory’s famous-but-not-yet seen inexpensive 3D printer has won Popular Science’s Best of What’s New Award for 2007 in the “Home Tech” category. Fabbaloo has covered the Desktop Factory 125ci 3D printer before, again, and will no doubt again when it finally hits the store… Continue reading DesktopFactory Wins Award
Secrets of Desktop Factory
socalTech interviews Cathy Lewis, CEO of Desktop Factory. DesktopFactory is building a sub-$5000 3D printer suitable for many businesses and even home use. Their first printer is set to be released later this year. In the article Ms. Lewis sets Desktop Factory’s milestone: Our goal is to bring this down market, to where it’s… Continue reading Secrets of Desktop Factory
$4995 For a Desktop Fab?
DesktopFactory is now taking reservations for its new 125ci 3D Printer. That’s right – it’s not actually available now, but you can reserve one of the first 1000 devices for only USD$495. This device could be the first real desktop consumer-oriented fab. The highlights include: Inexpensive. Well, as compared to other fabs. We don’t… Continue reading $4995 For a Desktop Fab?