Business

PieceMaker makes peace with Toys’R’Us collapse to expand 3D printing operations

PieceMaker is a Pittsburgh-based company that originally launched in 2013 as a producer of 3D printed toys for the likes of Nickelodeon and Toys’R’Us. It has also created its own equipment in the form of 3D printing kiosks for use in retail and events.

Following a rise in the use of 3D printing across many industries for production and prototyping, PieceMaker has now re-launched as a fully-fledged 3D printing B2B service bureau. The services provided include additive manufacturing content management for industry, educational software, personalised jewellery, novelty 3D printed products and the capacity to print objects live at events.

A Stormtrooper Buddha remix piece printed on demand by PieceMaker. Photo via Twitter/PieceMaker Tech.
A Stormtrooper Buddha remix piece printed on demand by PieceMaker. Photo via Twitter/PieceMaker Tech.

3D printing at every stage

As part of this expansion, PieceMaker now has capability and offers products at every stage of the supply chain. The “catalogue manager” application allows customers to upload printable content, while the fulfilment platform allows print configuration, tracking, and optimisation for products. The platform also supports a wider range of file formats, so printing designs is not exclusively restricted to “.stl” files. 

Commenting on the relaunch, PieceMaker CEO Arden Rosenblatt stated that “for the first time we’re seeing all kinds of companies putting substantial resources behind incorporating AM & interactive 3D technology into their supply chains and customer experiences in meaningful and exciting new ways. Importantly, they have also learned that hardware is just the first step.”

He added that “we’ve spent the last four years building the solutions, applications and networks that make AM work. Now we’re thrilled to bring this expertise to some of the best companies in the world, powering the AM revolution through end-to-end, enterprise-level solutions that are proven, profitable and scalable.”

PieceMaker's product management system. Image via PieceMaker.
PieceMaker’s product management system. Image via PieceMaker.

Conquering the Supply Chain

An increasing number of companies are offering services from equipment manufacturing all the way through to 3D printing on demand and post-production. 

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Our featured image shows the PieceMaker team at their New York toy printing on demand fair booth. Photo via Twitter/@PieceMakerTech.