Online Based 3D Printing service

[MarkCK]

A little introduction first, I'm a university student, living in a suburban area in a 2nd world country. Title almost says it all, I am thinking of starting a small online based 3d printing business/service and deliver the goods by mail domestically (for now!!). I'm seeking feedback and opinions of some more experienced folks here. I stumbled across the idea while browsing amazon (for whatever reason), I realized than almost nobody here ever even heard of 3d printing and I could take advantage of this while the competition is still very little if any. My target group is probably businesses that deal with 3d modeling (for prototype printing and such) and the general public. Maybe start off with one printer, I found a decent one for about $500-$600. I can probably get a domain for my mentioned web page on godaddy since they have an exelent first year offer. I was thinking that customers can send me 3d models through said website along with their info (like shipping address) just like a normal online store. Maybe i'll even set up google adwords and whatnot for promoting my business.

These are just some rough ideas, and I need your input on this if its a good or bad idea.
I don't really have much business experience, so any tips or precautions will come in handy.

[Harold Mansfield]

Hi Mark,
First I just want to let you know that a lot of people know what 3d printing is and a LOT of companies have been on the ground floor for a while now.
Not saying that to discourage you, but to give a shot of realism. The market is probably there, but you are far from first.

As far as the logistics of how you'd set your operation up, I'll leave that to some others around here.

I will say this...for anyone who needs 3D printing done, $500-$600 is not a lot of money to spend for a unit to do what you propose to do. If this is what they need, they could easily buy this for themselves.


Sounds like you're a long way off from worry about a website until you have your investigated and planned out your business model. A website is important, but you aren't there yet.


Good luck with it.

[Pita]

Have you done an on-line search of other businesses that are currently offering this service in order to determine if there is any competition, but also to learn from them and try to extrapolate their business models? I'm a huge fan of following trails that have already been blazed. I know in the United States there are a few companies that are doing this.

I looked into a similar venture based on 3D printing recently so I have done some research on it.

Obviously you need to define your target market. 3D printing is still very much a grassroots effort and had not hit mainstream...yet. But when it does I think it will be very big. You will need to not only find businesses that can profit from 3D printing, but which also understand the process and what the technology can over. You will need to be not only a salesman, but also an educator of the benefits of 3D printing as it is such a new concept. This will take a big effort and large initial expenses. That is one of the reasons I decided not to pursue my 3D business opportunity at this time.

As you probably already know there are a variety of types of 3D printers and they differ by how they do the printing and also the material used. Some are simple plastic printers, while others can work with exotic metals. There are even 3D printers for food. Knowing your target market and what you will produce for them will drive the kind of printer(s) you need.

Other revenue generating opportunities can arise as well based on inventory and parts management and just-in-time parts generation that 3-D printing can offer. I recently sat in on a meeting where the US Navy suggested they were looking into 3D printing technology for their ships to reduce the hundreds of millions of dollars they spend on parts acquisition, warehousing, and shipping in order to get critical parts to ships all over the world.

Another opportunity in 3D printing is to have a variety of types of 3D printers and do contract custom printing for others who sell the 3D services for you. So instead of being the guy who has the website and has to sell to (and educate) the consumers, you are the guy on the back end who does the custom contract 3D printing for the other sellers.

I think it's a good idea and will get you in on the ground floor at a young age of what can be a very exciting industry. I suggest you absorb as much information as you can on 3D printing and its market potential. Play with the 3D printers so that you understand what they are capable of. You can probably find instructions on line showing you how to build your own for very little money.

Good luck!

[Fulcrum]

I do think there is a market for 3D printing; however, it is starting to get flooded at the B2B prototype level. There are many machines on the market - a few great ones (high res, high speed, high accuracy, high price of 6+ figures), a fair amount of mid level and mid quality with a mid level price $30K-$75K, and many entry level printers which either work or they don't ranging in prices from $600-$25K.

I feel this business is following the same path as garage based plasma cutting and laser engraving. If you can find a niche and hit the ground running before the competition shows up, you could do well. With the wrong niche, you will be running in circles and will have a hard time getting ahead.

[GoldenGateTradingPost]

If it only costs $500 and potential customers already have the design files necessary to feed the printer, I would expect them to get a printer themselves. Perhaps you could create your own custom-designed objects to print and sell. I haven't looked into 3d printers at all, so these may not be at all practical for some reason, but some possible ideas: baking molds for small commercial bakers (e.g., cupcakes shaped like turtles); specialty food displays (e.g., a cake platter shaped like the Eiffel Tower); other specialty retail displays, holiday themes are usually good. Basically, something unique that can be sold to specialty retailers, since they need to differentiate themselves from big box retailers.

You should think about what you can do that will take advantage of your skills and can't be easily copied. That will limit competition, and give you something to sell customers on.

[RR151]

My brother has a Fortus 360 and solid works drawing package, which is used to create models of the new launch products in the electronics business. Most of these businesses that are serious about their R&D have their own 3D drawing package and printers.

What I have learned was getting the piece printed is the easy part of the process. The 3D drawing of the part that the business needs is the tough part of the process. I am not sure you are going after this type of business.

On the other hand you might look at consumer 3D printer, The cubify is around $3,000.00 to $4,500.00, Makerbot is $1,400.00 to $6,500.00 and not what you quoted at $500 to $600...I am not sure what you are buying. Even the smallest R&D online business that is serious about their designs can afford these prices.

So maybe you are looking to get into the consumer business. For this you design your unique 3D drwaings and sell them to other people that have their own personal printer. Is this what you are trying to do?

Cubify has a place to sell your designs. Example: 3D Printed Fashion | 3D Bags, Jewelry & Cases | Cubify (http://cubify.com/store/freshfiber/lostluggage) Makerbot is another place to sell your designs in their 3D print community 3D Printing Community | Thingiverse | MakerBot (http://www.makerbot.com/thingiverse)

Many people already have these printers so I think the cat is already out of the bag...Maybe local businesses in your area might need this service. If you are serious get a few samples 3D parts made from the printer of your choice. Then make the pitch to the local community before you buy a printer. Get some commitment to what your local businesses might need.

Good luck, RR

[Owen]

I have had my share in the 3D market. There's tons and tons of competition. Do a lot of research before you get into it. It's very expensive to keep up with.