On 3DPI, we have often found ourselves writing about new distribution deals for desktop 3D printers. These deals often mean that the market is getting larger and more people want (and can obtain) access to 3D printers in a store near them (which is a good thing, when it comes to a product that you really want to see and try before you buy). When a company enters a distribution agreement with Wynit, a very large consumer electronics and technology wholesaler in the US, it usually means that that company has made it into the big leagues. Now, it is time for 3D scanning to do the same, with Fuel3D’s Scanify.
The portable scanner manufacturer has made good on its promise to widen the appeal of handheld 3D scanners by launching an accurate and fast 3D scanning system at a fraction of the cost of other comparable products. Fuel3D’s Scanify system was funded, announced, shown around, and delivered on time. Now, it is taking the next logical step and it is making its way the mass consumer market.
Wynit is not the only large distributor to carry the product, nor is the US the only market. Fuel3D will make the scanner available via 3D printing distributors across Europe and Asia, as well as selected retailers such as B&H Photo in New York, and also Yamada Denki, one of the largest retailers of consumer electronics in Japan.
Stuart Mead, CEO of Fuel3D, said that the company is thrilled to announce the retail availability of Scanify. “This marks a milestone for Fuel3D, as the company makes its entrance into the consumer retail market. Scanify,” he explained, “makes 3D scanning a reality for consumers. Now, they can capture complex subjects in high-detail, full-color 3D scans, in the same way they could capture a photo using a digital camera.”
Among the features that make Scanify accessible to a greater number of potential customers are its relatively low price ($1,490.00, a little more than a tenth of the price of an Artec EVA); its easy to use “point-and-shoot” approach, which truly makes it similar to a photo camera device; and its speed: Scanify combines pre-calibrated stereo cameras with photometric imaging to capture a 3D image in under a tenth of a second.
“We are very excited to be teaming up with Fuel3D to make the Scanify handheld 3D scanner available to our customers,” said Rick Slagle, Vice President of Purchasing, Marketing & Business Development for Wynit Distribution. “Being able to offer powerful, yet easy-to-use handheld 3D scanning technology as part of their retail offering is going to be a great opportunity for our dealers to better serve their customers and expand on their consumer-friendly 3D technology offerings.”
The Scanify system will, thus, become part of the growing number of 3D printing-related products carried by Wynit: which include seven 3D printers brands, ranging from the B2C Mcor Technologies systems to the purely consumer-centric printers from BEEVERYCREATIVE and MakerBot (and the 3Doodler 3D pen). Wynit’s 3D scanner line-up includes the MakerBot Digitizer and Matter and Form rotational laser scanners. Now, Fuel3D has joined the ranks of those 3D printing-related products with huge consumer appeal and more are sure to follow suit.
