Some one million 3D printed products later, Shapeways finally opened up shop in New York City.
The NY-based startup began printing from a single 3D Systems ProJet 3500 Plus printer last week at its Long Island City factory/distribution center. Because the machines are customized for specific materials, the ProJet will only be churning out UV curable acrylic plastics until other printers are installed.
Up until last week any product ordered from Shapeways regardless of where it was produced was distributed through its Dutch factory. Not the most efficient way of doing things but now that the Long Island City factory/distribution center is up and running shipment and production times should be much, much faster.
While this isn’t the “factory of the future” that was announced last November, Shapeways says the real deal will be up and running by the end of summer or early fall. There are also plans to implement a “lab” for creators and students alike to experiment with different materials and production methods to further improve and iterate upon current methods.
To date, Shapeways has over 150,000 active community members/designers with over 6,000 of them having their own online shops delivering their custom wares.
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