Shapeways files for bankruptcy

[JohnWhyte]

I'm not surprised with more people getting their own printers and the stupid prices they charged and places like etsy allowing designers to sell them. Plus being able to sell designs through cult3d allowing them to get them out there.

[50koruny]

Yes but...

1. once you post something on Cults (or any other similar site), you have no chance to control what happens with the model.
People trade or exchange them freely.
Alternatively, some of them are offering to print those models for money.
Any form of unauthorized and unwanted treatment.

2. on Shapeways it was possible to have a model made using more advanced technology.
Not many people probably have a Nylon Powder (SLS) printer at home.
Laser sintering is different league.

[jarndice]

People like me without a printer and no interest in buying one relys on WOZ and others who "design, produce, invent" STLs and company's like "Shapeways" who act as a catalyst for them,
Everytime I read of people stealing the property of people who have downloaded the ideas that enhance my hobby I swear and wish that someone could bring these thiefs too justice.
It's wrong and in the long term it must surely destroy our hobby because without access to a marketplace for upgrades there is no future for it.
Sorry for the rant but I am really pis*ed off.

[Jimster]

We need a forum 3D printing Abteilung group. I would be willing to pay premium price for rarely produced detail parts. Just a random thought as my 3D printing experience is zero.

[tankme]

2. on Shapeways it was possible to have a model made using more advanced technology.
Not many people probably have a Nylon Powder (SLS) printer at home.
Laser sintering is different league.

I was actually not a fan of the finish that their prints had. It was grainy and actually quite difficult to glue using CA.

People like me without a printer and no interest in buying one relys on WOZ and others who "design, produce, invent" STLs and company's like "Shapeways" who act as a catalyst for them,
Everytime I read of people stealing the property of people who have downloaded the ideas that enhance my hobby I swear and wish that someone could bring these thiefs too justice.
It's wrong and in the long term it must surely destroy our hobby because without access to a marketplace for upgrades there is no future for it.
Sorry for the rant but I am really pis*ed off.

The thing about owning your own printer is that if you buy an STL file for let's say a .50 cal ammo box for $3, you can print as many of those ammo boxes for as many of your own projects that you need and you have access to print the STL in the future for new projects. Buying from a service like Shapeways, they charge you by the print and then you don't own the STL. I would never sell anyone else's intellectual property, but the personal use license goes a long way. I've actually gotten parts printing by people selling them that were almost useless. At least if I owned the STL, I could at least try to reprint them or tweak the file to print better.

Personally the possibilities when owning a printer are pretty much endless, but 3D printing is a hobby all in itself. I don't have the time typically to learn CAD, but the Orca(Bambu/Prusa) slicer can do some basic CAD work. I've used it to modify wheels to add bearings and even whole parts from scratch. Right now I'm designing a bearing support for the rear of the 1/6th KV-1 that will fit between the two drive shafts and mount to the rounded rear of the tank. The prototype almost fit on the first go so I'll make a few adjustments and print a second test piece before printing the real part. Most don't realize or even care about the time it takes to design and test print GOOD parts. There sure are a lot of bad parts out there. Cloning and steeling IP is nothing new, but because STLs are so portable it makes it really easy to take advantage of. Without any built in copy protection, nothing will change. Problem is that even if copy protection is developed, someone will make it their mission to break it.

[Kaczor]

Shapeways offers (has offered...) many materials and technologies not available on home printers. SLS - their "strong and flexible" material was amazing. Powder printing in metal. Lost-wax casting (silver, gold, etc.). A great loss to the modeling, DIY and other communities. Personally, I only earned only like a few hundred dollars on my projects there, but there are many for whom it was a large part of their earnings.

[Woz]

Pulled this off Reddit -

Shapeways Eindhoven restarts

"Shapeways Eindhoven restarts under it's own management. I can't wait to hear more. In my experience the EIndhoven factory had less rejects and better print results than the NYC factory."
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EINDHOVEN - A month ago, Eindhoven-based Shapeways was dragged into the fall of its American parent company. Under the local management of the bankrupt 3D printing company, a fresh start is now being made. Dozens of jobs are being saved.
Taal herkennenNederlandsEngelsSpaansswap_horizEngelsDuitsLatijn

The Eindhoven branch of 3D printing service Shapeways has been saved. An agreement has been reached with the receiver on a restart in a somewhat slimmed-down form, but with a large part of the employees. According to receiver Jeroen Tulfer, a first group of employees has been offered a new position, and the second larger group will follow on 1 September. In total, the restarted company will initially have work for at least thirty employees, says Tulfer.

The 3D printing company was founded in 2007, at Philips on the High Tech Campus. Philips supported the start-up and later the company became fully independent. Shapeways let users design and upload their own 3D files, after which the objects rolled out of the printer. American management was appointed and a stock exchange listing was established. But Shapeways in the United States ran into financial problems after considerable investments in its drive for growth.

Red figures
The parent company filed for bankruptcy in the US. As a result, paying the salaries and other debts of the Dutch branch on the Kanaaldijk-Zuid in Eindhoven also became a problem. Bankruptcy was also filed here, as Shapeways was the only 3D printing customer in the US. The Eindhoven prints went to the end customer via the US, such as a company that supplies 3D printed knee braces.

The Eindhoven branch still had a turnover of almost ten million euros in 2023. The problems at the parent company in the US also affected the Eindhoven branch and last year the company ended up in the red. Shapeways in Eindhoven suffered a loss of more than half a million euros, while in previous years there was still a profit of more than two million euros. The American parent company had been struggling with losses for years, in 2023 a loss of almost 41 million euros was recorded.

More interest in restart
According to curator Tulfer of the Eindhoven law firm Boels Zanders, several parties have shown interest in a restart in recent weeks. Several bids were received. For creditors and employment, the restart plan of the own Dutch management, in which factory director Jules Witte is also involved, came out best, Tulfer reports. Shapeways will remain located at the Kanaaldijk-Zuid for the time being.star_borderFeedback sturen

https://www.ed.nl/eindhoven/eindhovens- ... ~aad84fea/

[jarndice]

Will you continue with the new company and will the the web address remain the same because all in all without the profit losing burden of its American owners it sounds like a win win for them.

[Kaczor]

Yep. Shapways' golden days were when it was a purely European company.

[redlinemoto]

Sculpteo is another 3d printing company was like shapeway I think they might of stopped their marketplace but still print files for you