There are those who have suggested that 3D printing might challenge Amazon’s business of shipping an almost infinite number of products from anywhere to anywhere really quickly because 3D printing will allow customers to 3D print products directly in their homes almost instantly. The company’s CEO and an initial investor in MakerBot, Jeff Bezos, however, has said that the prospect doesn’t bother him, saying, “I think 3D printing is super interesting, but it’s probably more interesting for prototyping and other areas along those lines, not for mass production.” Either proving or disproving the CEO’s statements, the online mega distributor has partnered with 3D printing service bureau and printables startup 3DLT as they further their advances into the 3D printing market.
Last year, Amazon began selling 3D printers and supplies and, in January of this year, the company allowed 3DP service provider Sculpteo to sell 3D-printed jewelry on their site. Today, 3DLT has announced their partnership with the retailer, selling 3D printing services through Amazon and extending Amazon’s reach into the printables market. 3DLT has launched its Amazon marketplace with 50 items to start, including belt buckles and iPhone cases among other things, that can be printed and shipped within 6 to 10 days.
3DLT CEO, John Hauer, says “We’re excited by the potential of a partnership with Amazon. They’ve become an eCommerce juggernaut, in part due to their ability to capitalize on innovations like 3D printing,” adding, “When it was announced that Amazon would begin selling 3D printers and supplies last summer, the industry heralded it as a defining moment, a clear indication that 3D printing was going mainstream. We think the decision to sell 3D printed products sends an even bigger message. Consumer products are the next frontier.”
The startup’s COO, Colin Klayer, contributes, “We’re thrilled to be included in the pilot. We think 3D print-on-demand will be very attractive to companies who want access to a new, digital channel. It will also be appealing to independent designers who’ve told us they want access to a large consumer market.”
3DLT, which will slowly be releasing more products on the site, is the first of four companies that Amazon will be partnering with to offer 3D printed goods. In some ways, this move by Amazon is good news for 3D printing enthusiasts, serving as a sign that 3D printing may officially be “here”. The bad news may be that, as Amazon prepares for the replacement of shipping goods with printing goods, they may dominate the printables market as they have in the market of physical goods. The news for Amazon workers may be a double-edged sword, as well. On the one hand, they may lose their jobs in a 3D-printed future dominated by 3D printing service bureaus. On the other, at least they won’t have to work the company’s terrible warehouse floors anymore.
Source: 3DLT
