If there’s one thing I can think of to describe Dutch 3D printer store RIDIX is that it’s totes ridix. Ok, so it’s not totally ridiculous, but it is totally Dutch. So you’ll need to turn on your Google Translate if you want to get through the site.
RIDIX is riding the rising tide of 3D printer retailers and service bureaux the world over. With both an online presence and a physical location, giving the people of Holland another service bureau that can ship products to locals quickly and a neat place to walk in and check out and, perhaps, leave with a 3D printer in your arms. The store has an in-house suite of industrial 3D printers — ZCorp Full HD Color System, Fortus 360mc, Fortus 400mc, Fortus 900mc, and Dimension SST 1200es 3D printers — with which to meet your high quality 3D printing needs, as well as an Artec EVA 3D scanner for precise scans. And, to push the 3D printing revolution even farther in the country, RIDIX sells a wide range of desktop 3D printers, including: LeapFrog, Felix, 3D Systems Cube, Builder, Wanhao, and, even, ROBO 3D printers of all shapes and sizes. The store also sells a variety of filaments, including wood and sandstone, to accompany your 3D printer purchase.
3D printing has a strong presence in the Netherlands already. One of the most popular desktop 3D printers, the Ultimaker, is a Dutch product. And the most popular 3D printing service bureau, Shapeways, was born and raised in the Netherlands, before relocating its corporate headquarters to New York. The largest growing network of 3D printers, 3D Printer Hub, has its roots there as well. Naturally, 3D printer stores such as RIDIX are likely to sprout up all over the country.
Based on recent experience, it can’t hurt to have a 3D printing service bureau nearby. While Shapeways may have good prices and diverse offerings, they may not always have the customer service to help you perfect a design for 3D printing and they may not be able to ship something out to you when you need it. But, more on that in an upcoming post. Anyway, in terms of 3D printing stores, I say, “the more the merrier!”
