Photos by Silas Pelsmaeker, whom I thank for being able to do this so last minute and so early in the morning. 

On Saturday, when our website unfortunately went down due to data center issues out of our control, I asked you all to share your #SWPaws. Dozens upon dozens of great animals photos streamed in through our social media channels, immediately turning our frowns upside down. One such photo, from our new friend Roel, featured Kai, the Reindeer and the “Boss” (Santa) wearing a Shapeways 3D Printed belt buckle and hat broach inspired by Kai.

Santa’s Kai Inspired 3D Printed Belt Buckle in Gold Matte Steel

Santa Models His 3D Printed Hat Broach in Gold Matte Steel

I was elated! This was unbelievable! I know more than most how delightful our community is, but even I never could have anticipated that we had printed swag for Santa and his Reindeer! I had to know more, so I asked Roel where they were located and how exactly this photo came to be.

Photo Roel Ruwaard posted to our Facebook Page for #SWPaws

Turns out, Roel, Santa and Kai all live only an hour away from our factory in Eindhoven, in The Netherlands! On top of that, Roel informed me that Kai is actually quite portable, and that they would love to come visit our factory sometime. Mind blown, I immediately reached out Ruud, a priceless member of our European team. He was just as astounded as I, and we immediately began plotting what had the potential to be the greatest Christmas miracle in Shapeways history.

We knew we had to act fast. It was now the wee hours of Sunday, December 21st and we knew Kai & Santa’s schedule’s had to be packed. After our initial attempts to get ahold of Roel failed, Ruud reached out personally on facebook and managed to schedule a call.  Tuesday morning Ruud and Roel connected, and in one fateful chat, the dreams of many Shapies came true. Turns out Santa and Kai were ecstatic about the invitation to the factory, and were willing to carve out two hours early this morning, make the drive, and come by to spread some Christmas cheer.

Santa Getting Ready for the Big Shoot at our Eindhoven, Netherlands Factory.

At 7am today, Ruud welcomed Santa and Kai to our factory. Kai was very comfortable around people and heavy machinery, not surprising given his work at Santa’s factory. In a rare inside look, Santa prepared for his big day in our distribution center, is there a more fitting place to get in the sleigh riding zone?

Santa Putting on the Finishing Touches to his Ensemble

They were then given the full tour, and did a VIP pickup of Shapeways holiday gifts. They even let us have this epic photo shoot in front of our biggest Strong & Flexible Plastic printers as they selectively laser sintered away. Has Santa ever been more high tech or hip?

Sleigh Packed to the Brim in Front of our Biggest 3D Printers

Ruud was nice enough to Skype me in for a chat with the big man, too!

On Skype with Santa, Kai and Ruud from Shapeways HQ in New York City – Can You Tell How Happy We Are?

Their special sleigh loaded to the brim, Santa and his reindeer slipped out the back and on to the rest of their Christmas Eve pickups, leaving a factory full of Shapeways employees simply enchanted. 

To think that this beautiful experience arose from unexpected site downtime is unreal. It is truly a testament to the incredible individuals that make up the Shapeways community. You, yes YOU, and Kai, and Roel, and everyone else our service and products touch, define the Shapeways spark. Christmas Eve is historically special for us all, as we wait to hear stories about the thousands of Shapeways powered packages under trees around the world. Today, however, is one we’ll never forget:

As we look to the sky,
Hoping to catch sight of Santa’s great sleigh,
We can turn to our loved ones,
And let them know where he started this day…

A admittedly misty eyed, very proud, Shapeways Global Community Manager here, hoping some of this same magic may reach you this holiday season.

From all of us at Shapeways,

Merry Christmas to All!

A very special Thank You to Roel Veldhuyzen for originally posting these one of a kind #SWPaws, Santa for following up and making the journey (also named Roel Ruwaard), Kai the Reindeer, Ruud, and entire Eindhoven team for being just as big of children as I inside and working hard to make this magic happen at the last Christmas minute. You can learn more about Kai and Roel’s awesome animal family (and how to meet them) here.

The post Santa Visits Shapeways Factory, Brings Reindeer and 3D Printed Swag appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Pete Weijmarshausen cutting the ribbon with Katja Lucas from Dutch Design Week, the Royal Commissioner Wim van de Donk, and the Mayor of Eindhoven, Rob van Gijzel

The future of 3D printing is looking brighter and brighter, as more people design custom that are exactly what they want. As excitement about 3D printing has grown, so has Shapeways and on Monday, October 20 we opened the our new 3D printing factory in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. This is our third location in Eindhoven and the largest so far! We’re so excited because we will not only be able to produce 3D printed products more efficiently at this new facility, but it has plenty of room to grow for the future. It’s a milestone in Shapeways history and we’re excited to be growing in the city where we began.

Pete Weijmarshausen welcomes guests and the Shapeways team to the new Shapeways Eindhoven factory

At the opening Shapeways co-founder and CEO Petere Weijmarshausen kicked off the evening and talked about how Shapeways grew from one office with one chair and desk to a company of 150 with factories on both sides of the Atlantic. We were also joined by very special guests Katja Lucas from Dutch Design Week, the Royal Commissioner Wim Van De Donk, and the Mayor of Eindhoven, Rob van Gijzel who spoke about the significance of Shapeways and 3D printing for Dutch design, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The entry hallway at our new Eindhoven factory

With Dutch Design Week in full swing we were honored that Katja Lucas made time in her busy schedule to talk about how 3D printing and companies like Shapeways are empowering designers to push their imaginations and their designs. The Rob van Gijzel, Mayor of Eindhoven, spoke about the city’s tradition of nurturing technological visionaries and the entrepreurial spirit that Shapeways exemplifies. The Royal Commissioner, Wim van de Donk, said he felt like, “A part of history,” and drew connections to Einstein’s time in Eindhoven and how 3D printing is not only driving our imaginations, but the next industrial revolution.

We also wanted to thank you, our community, for enabling us to bring your designs to life over the past six years. We’re all learning and growing together in this new industrial revolution and are curious to know, what do you think will be the next big thing in 3D printing? What are you looking forward to?

Three cheers for our community and thank you from the Shapeways Eindhoven team!

Want to see more of our Eindhoven factory? Join us on this minute-long, Hyperlapse tour!

The post The future of 3D printing is now: A new factory for Shapeways Eindhoven appeared first on Shapeways Blog.