Remember the Buccaneer 3D printer from Pirate3D? It launched on Kickstarter and earned over a million dollars, promising an easy-to-use printing experience for $247 (to its early bird backers). Then, it ran into a bit of controversy over some of its specifications after achieving its stretch goals. The bump in the road that was the lack of ABS support hasn’t stopped the Pirate3D truck from rolling, however. The company has shipped its first batch of printers to its Kickstarter backers and is now making plans for the future.
In order for the Pirate3D team to extend its influence across the globe, selling machines in Japan and other countries, they’ve decided to go big. Pirate3D is in the process of building a mass production line to be completed by early April. First, they will be performing a couple of small-batch production runs, before moving up to producing “thousands of Buccaneers per month.” By pursuing mass production of its Buccaneer 3D printer, customers will be able to pre-order their 3D printers now and receive them in June, without delay. The company does note that orders previously placed between November and January will be fulfilled in May.
This news confirms what Pirate3D’s Roger Chang told me at CES earlier this year. The mass production of their 3D printers will allow the company to have their machines distributed in department and electronics stores in various countries. Though those deals may still be in the works, a mass manufacturing facility will prove to potential retailers of the Buccaneer that Pirate3D does have the capacity to deliver.
Source: Pirate3D
