German company trinckle 3D started as a small software centered 3D printing service but has been making some big moves recently to position itself as one of the premiere 3DP services worldwide, with its latest endeavor being a new enterprise focused solution for object and prototype customization and manufacturing.
At 3DPI we have been following Trinckle 3D since its beginnings, as the company has been developing the tools necessary to spread 3D printing adoption to a wider demographic. As a software company it began by developing the tools to make product customization more accessible through its original Trinckle3D platform. It then moved on to making it more affordable by slashing the cost of the service, up to 85% less than major competing online services.
Florian Reichle, the company’s co-founder, did this by focusing primarily on white nylon (PA12) laser sintering, possibly the one material and process that is starting to be defined as “commonly used”, even at a business to consumer (B2C) level. It created the MeltWerk online service platform to upload models and get them 3D printed and delivered,
After forming their experience at the consumer level, Trinckle 3D has now created an integrated system that allows enteprises to implement online tools for immediate customization of their products. It goes on to offer cloud tools for model handling. This allows any company to effectively offer an online 3D printing service, both for their own products or for products that have been designed by the customer from scratch. These are automatically tested, optimized and fixed for full printability.
The third phase of the enterprise-centered solution leverages on Trinckle’s SLS 3D printing capabilities, based on a network of partners. The product is automatically transferred to the most suitable supplier and then shipped directly the company’s logistic facilities or directly to a customer.
Like many other new 3D printing start ups that initially targeted the consumer market, Trinckle 3D figured out that, before that happens, the enterprise sector (intended as both B2C 3D printing bureaus and traditional manufacturers wanting to implement advanced customization and on-demand manufacturing capabilities) will be the first to grow as an adopter of 3D printing services.
This is the same policy implemented by other software based customization platforms that initially went after consumers. I’m thinking of Digital Forming and Argos, Leopoly and Orchard, or Skyforge (more on them later this week) and even the Makies Dolls online customization tool, just to name a few. The 3D printing industry and market is still extremely young and in constant evolution, companies wanting to operate in this sector need to be able to quickly adapt to survive. No business model is a guaranteed winner as nothing is certain except, IMAO, the fact that 3D printing, in one of tis many forms, is not going away.
