When Shapeways was founded in 2007 it set out to rethink manufacturing and enable customers to transform their digital designs into physical products.  Shapeways became the place for designers to create a digital inventory, offer it to their audience, and deliver them finished products.  And in the process Shapeways became a best in class additive manufacturing service provider.

Almost four years ago we started writing another chapter in our story, focusing our capabilities on businesses that were looking for industrial grade manufacturing, from prototyping through full production. We raised the bar and focused on technologies that could scale and enhance our technology stack even further.  We fully digitized our end to end manufacturing process to drive increased efficiencies, higher quality, and faster delivery.

Today Shapeways reaches a new milestone as we become a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol SHPW!  While this milestone is a recognition for our efforts, this is not the end, but the beginning of the next chapter in the Shapeways story!

This enables Shapeways to invest in new additive manufacturing capabilities, accelerate new customer acquisition, offer traditional manufacturing services, and bring our software offering to market. It will give us access to new investment tools and capabilities, allowing us to scale faster and expand our leadership in the market. 

We are deeply appreciative of our team… current, new, and former… that have worked hard to help Shapeways reach this milestone.  We are grateful to our customers who have partnered with Shapeways and allowed us to become a critical component of their supply chain.   And we are thankful to our investors who believed in our story and supported Shapeways in becoming a leader in digital manufacturing.

Our next chapter will come with new opportunities for us to seize, challenges for us to overcome, progress for us to achieve, and work to be done.

To find out more, visit our investor page.

About Shapeways

Contact Shapeways now to enjoy the benefits of advanced technology and materials for 3D printing with accuracy, complex detail, and no limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways solutions, and get instant quotes here.

The post Shapeways lists on the NYSE under the ticker symbol SHPW appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

As we’ve grown, we’ve learned a lot about how we can better support you throughout the process of getting a product out of your heads and into the world. Greg will be a big part of expanding what we do for you as creators. He said he’s looking forward to “accelerating Shapeways’ vision to become the complete end-to-end platform helping people, ‘design, make, and sell,’ regardless of their 3D modeling experience.”

Greg has almost two decades of experience in roles that resonate strongly at Shapeways. He joins us from Open Education, an online learning platform that he led as President and COO as it grew into an international community of students and teachers. “There, I focused on growing the community and removing barriers to help our customers achieve their goals, and I look forward to doing the same here with helping you all bring your finished designs and prints to life,” he told us.

Before Open Education, Greg held leadership positions in Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing at GE.

Our board member Albert Wenger, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures, summed up how it feels to be welcoming Greg as our CEO: “We know people have ideas or want products that can be made and sold thanks to advanced design, production, and fulfillment technology — but most of them don’t know where to begin. Without proper support or infrastructure, the entire process seems inaccessible, complicated, intimidating, and expensive. Greg is experienced at growing platform businesses and we’re thrilled that he’ll be applying that deep knowledge and energy to empower creators to realize those design dreams.”

The post Meet Our New CEO, Greg Kress appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Here are just a few of the cool projects that community members like you are launching in 2018:

Artist Claudio Settiis bringing a Viking back to life

Chris McConnell of M-Customs is building a dropped and chopped hot rod truck

Wayne Losey of ModiBot is planning new BriXleev building blocks

Katie Larocca turned a grazing animal into a keepsake box

Julian Arnold of Jewelled Seas Untold is updating the reminder string — as a beautiful ring

Patricia Castillo from CatDragStudio is building a better Frantic Krug Robot

Roxy Rahel of Morphology is finalizing her first bracelet of 2018

Conner Austin is working on an adjustable Universal iPhone Cover

Pop Goes the Monkey designed a pair of Death Team: M2a Troop Tank Doors

Death Team: M2a Troop Tank Doors

Are you still waiting to start that project you’ve been dreaming of? We’re here to help. You can explore our materials to see what’s possible, start printing now if you already have a 3D file, hire a designer to turn your idea into a 3D model, get help in our forums, or learn 3D design in our Tutorials hub and Magazine. And don’t forget to share your progress with the hashtag #Create2018 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 9 Amazing #Create2018 Projects appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

While the overall 3D printing industry largely focuses on enterprises and industrial uses, Shapeways exists to take the power of that innovation and put it in the hands of people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. Unlike the early consumer 3D printing industry that focused on desktop printers, we created a service business model that enables creators to access the best and most innovative technologies without constantly buying new machines themselves.

EOS has been a key partner, providing the most innovative technology for selective laser sintering (SLS), or powder bed infusion. The company is the leading machine manufacturer and materials supplier for SLS industrial 3D printing, which is known for having the best repeatable quality result — key to serving our million-strong community of creators. EOS also gives Shapeways a competitive advantage beyond quality and consistency: access to material parameters unavailable from other technologies — in any color, size, or repeatable dimensional accuracy. The powder bed acts as a natural support structure for parts, enabling geometries that are difficult to print with stereolithography and fused filament fabrication. And quite simply, it is one of the most forgiving materials processes as the world of 3D creators rapidly expands – with versatility for tech accessories, jewelry, eyewear, scaled models, fixture, mechanical parts, and more.

Our factories house 19 industrial-sized EOS 3D systems that print thousands of products at once, running 24/7. With roughly 200,000 unique designs uploaded each month, we’re pioneering high-mix, high volume production.

As Adam Penna, EOS Sales and Marketing Lead put it, “We have supported Shapeways since its early days and we’re listening closely to them as a customer and to their community for improvement of processes involved in the digital value chain related to industrialized production as well as innovation on what’s next.” At 5 million products printed, we and EOS are celebrating the milestone — and then getting back to work building the accessible 3D printing service of the future.

The post Our Community Makes History: Congrats on 5 Million Strong & Flexible Prints! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

How long have you been working with models? 

Fifty-one years. I started when I was eight, and continued building until I was in my late teens. At that point, I had built over 200 models up to 1/4 scale in size. But then I just kind of quit until about two years ago. I found myself working on a 1/6 scale ’34 Ford Coupe that nobody seemed to have parts for. Through a moment of serendipity, I heard about 3D printing. Since I’ve been working with computers for over 30 years, I figured I’d try my hand at it. What started as me making parts for myself blossomed to a full-blown business when others wanted my designs too, so I started 3D Model Specialties to meet demand.

Tell us about a project you’re particularly proud of.

My biggest, and most exciting project is still the ’34 Ford coupe. I’ve actually been working on it for 20 years, but was trying to scratch build everything, which was not working out well in that large scale. I’m very proud of my collection of engines that has grown immensely in the past two years that I’ve been creating parts for the Shapeways store.

“Through a moment of serendipity, I heard about 3D printing. Since I’ve been working with computers for over 30 years, I figured I’d try my hand at it. What started as me making parts for myself blossomed to a full-blown business when others wanted my designs too…”

How did you learn to make 3D models? What software do you use?

It was quite challenging at first, but I picked it up quickly. I started in OpenSCAD, a free command-line CAD software. I’ve typed hundreds of thousands of lines of code to create parts, but I’ve started to work in Rhinoceros to make better models for my customers. That, and my fingers are sore.

My first parts were for the twin turbo engine for the ’34 Ford. I can now add about 20-30 new parts a week to my store, which can be hard to keep up with!

How does it feel to do what you do? How does it feel, after the hours you put in modeling, tweaking, and getting things just right, to finally hold that finished piece in your hand?

Modeling is a great way to express oneself, by customizing, painting and assembling unique cars, trucks, etc. Creating new, fresh and unique parts is a passion for me. It’s exciting to offer parts to the thousands of modelers out there that are tired of just buying a kit and gluing it together. They want individualism, uniqueness. Something that knocks their project out of the park.

I try to offer parts that have never been offered, as most kits today are the same ones I remember from 30 years ago in new boxes — sometimes not even that! There are very few, if any, updated engines, intakes, chassis, and wheels available, so I try hard to offer as many as I can. And I’d say I’ve succeeded. 3D Model Specialties now has over 1,050 parts in the store across 10 scales.

“It’s exciting to offer parts to the thousands of modelers out there that are tired of just buying a kit and gluing it together. They want individualism, uniqueness.”

What has 3D printing added to your appreciation of model cars?

3D printing is a scale modeling paradigm shift. Nowadays, as long as it fits in your printer, you can make it. I use full-scale car parts catalogs as guides to create new parts. With 3D printing, if it looks cool, I can make it. And there’s a ton of cool parts out there.

“With 3D printing, if it looks cool, I can make it.”

How did you buy or make model cars before you discovered Shapeways?

Like everyone else: kits, aftermarket, scratch building, and resin parts.  In my teens, I ended up basically building everything from scratch, as normal kits weren’t cutting it for me even then. It took 40 years and the advent of 3D printing to get me back into it.

How has Shapeways changed the way you do business?

When I started out, I only offered 1/8 scale and up, which was the limit for my home printers. It’s also more fun for me because I can get into much more detail over smaller scale builds. 

But with Shapeways, I can offer all of my parts down to 1/25  scale and some I can do as tiny as 1/32, which most home printers can’t even touch right now. I love starting from scratch and making super-detailed parts, knowing that thanks to the power of Shapeways, they’re available to everyone.

Give us some of your favorite memories interacting with the Shapeways community.

A lot of my customers have connected with me on social media. We talk almost every day on and off the site. Many of them have become very good friends, and it’s always great when I get a message from a customer telling me how much they loved one of my parts.

On a more personal note, I’ve worked with a lot of clients to produce custom parts for cars that have special significance to them — the car they drove to high school, or in one case, the car this particular customer’s father owned before they died. Making custom parts to get it just right means a lot to them, and I’m proud to help them out.

“I love starting from scratch and making super-detailed parts, knowing that thanks to the power of Shapeways, they’re available to everyone.”

What do you have coming up, and what plans do you have moving forward for your model-making?

For me, it’s just business as usual. I want to continue to offer different model bodies that most other stores don’t have. Another space I want to get into soon is motorcycles and top fuel boats. But of course, I’m always looking for insane engines and chassis parts to design and print.

(We usually don’t post this, but Ron’s answer was too good to not share. We can only imagine he typed this with a very self-satisfied (but well-deserved!) smirk.)

Can you tell us about another modeler with a storefront that should be featured?

I don’t know of any of the current modelers that have a storefront. They’re all coming to me for their parts.

You can find Ron’s store right here, where he offers over 1,000 model parts ranging from 1/6 scale all the way down to 1/32 scale. 

The post Ron Olsen, The Man of 1000 Models (and counting) appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Here, Steven tells us about his own podcast and maker channel, and his impressive career in the 3D printing industry.

Where is your hometown?
My hometown is New York — born and raised in Brooklyn!

How long have you been with Shapeways?
I have been with Shapeways almost two years now. Time flies!

How long have you been 3D printing?
3D printing has been a part of my life for a long time now, maybe six or seven years, non-stop. I started working in this field by chance; I was right out of school, working in a supermarket with my brother, and was really unhappy with the way my life was turning out. I was doing back-breaking work until a friend working at a desktop 3D printing company encouraged me to apply for a job there. I had no idea this would spark a career and a passion for making things. When I eventually came across a job 3D printing with Shapeways, I was very excited because I had purchased from them before and couldn’t wait to dive into a bigger pond of challenges.

What is your favorite 3D printed object ever?
Favorite 3D printed object ever? No way I can just pick one! I have printed so many things in my time in the field. I have done collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop culture. After building my first machine and seeing a small part printed, my goal was always to answer the question how big can we print? I always said I wanted to print things over 6 feet! When I first got into 3D printing, it was not a thing to print that massive. One of my most recent print jobs was a 3-foot mace prop weapon from World of Warcraft. I definitely love making props for display or other people’s cosplay.

If you could 3D print something in any material, currently possible or not, what would you pick and why?
I have seen a bunch of materials I would not mind tackling, as well as some giant printers I would like to try! Recently, I’ve really wanted to go in a different direction than what I was used to. I am used to materials that print quickly and require post-processing to look amazing, but I was not used to materials that come out of the machine amazing. So, when I came to Shapeways, I really wanted to work with High Definition materials, and that is where I currently am. 

How do you spend your time when you’re not bringing our community’s 3D printed vision to life?
This makes me chuckle because when I’m not bringing the community’s 3D printed vision to life, I am probably bringing my own visions to life. I am very fortunate to be able to do a ton of creative things that I love to do, with the people I love. I podcast with my brother and best friend every week and its truly one of my favorite parts of the week. I also work on YouTube with my brother where we show people how to make some of these expensive props or replicas on the cheap. I spend most of my time with the love of my life, Jamie, and I am blessed to have a group of friends I grew up with that I admire and who believe in the dreams I have, no matter how crazy they seem to most. Oh yeah, and I watch a ton of Batman — the 1966 TV show. Holy lame hobbies Batman!

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve learned about 3D printing in your time at Shapeways?
The most exciting thing I’ve learned about 3D printing at Shapeways is more of an evolution; I’ve developed a real passion for quality in a product. Shapeways has so many materials, the knowledge and possibilities are endless. Working on one of the best teams of any 3D printing company is a bonus. Shapeways taught me a world beyond the materials and machines I was used too. Learning new programs,machines and materials is AWESOME! Being able to speak directly to the community is great as well.

What’s on your work playlist?
My work playlist is very eclectic, to say the least! Normally I am listening to podcasts like The Knuckleheads or The Brilliant Idiots on iTunes. Audiobooks are a must as well; I am either listening to biographies or something motivational. When it comes to music, my playlists are all over the place, from Black Sabbath to The Beatles, Symphony NO.5 to Kayne, Kendrick, Post Malone, Big Sean — anything ’90s or ’00s hip hop…. I can go on and on for days! As I write this I am listening to Sinatra and Cardi B. I told you my playlists are all over the place!

If you started your own Shapeways shop, what would you sell?
My Shapeways shop would probably sell things my brother and I have made on our Super Maker Brothers channel so people can order the parts and follow along with the video. Chances are I would probably sell some obscure random items or desk toys.

In a perfect world, what is the trajectory of 3D printing?
In a perfect world I would love to see 3D printers in every classroom. I think schools should have innovation centers with printers, woodworking, metalworking, casting, and all types of making with your hands. Any time I explain 3D printing to people who aren’t super familiar with it, I try my best to get them out of the mindset of cheap plastic toys. 3D printing is much more than just toys. Besides mold-making, prototyping some of your everyday household items, or even parts for transportation, 3D printing is huge in the medical field! Anytime I go to the doctor or surgeon I try and push them to look into 3D printing. After training for Strongman and injuring my spine, I think it could have been cool if the doctor had had a printout of my spine to show me the problem areas.

Give us some words to live by!
Do they have to be mine? Can I say “To infinity and beyond!” or “This crest is a symbol of hope” or “Wubba lub dub dub!”?  OK, I’ll give some words I live by:

Why let go of the branches to reach another branch when you can just own the tree?

Let me explain. Let’s say all the branches are my dreams. I want to podcast or do radio so I grab that branch but there is a another branch where I can make props on YouTube, so I let go of the podcast one to reach that one. But now I see a bunch of branches that say different things like voice acting, filmmaking, clothing designer, twitch gamer, entrepreneur, etc. Never let go of any one branch because if you can own the tree, then all the branches are yours. Do it all! They each can cross-promote, and one hand washes the other. Crazy doesn’t mean impossible.

Any questions for Steven or the other 3D printing engineers? Ask in the comments and we will deliver!

The post Meet the Shapies: Steven Gonzalez appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Having been actively involved in giving her feedback throughout the design and prototyping process, we were over the moon when Free People reached out to Yung_Crowley about her jewelry line. As a result, the Cassiopeia Ring and Binah Earcuff are looking super fly on Free People’s marketplace! It’s awesome to see STONEDALONE’s products being shouted out as being 3D printed because it’s a huge victory for the makers and hobbyists using 3D design as a tool for their craftsmanship and artistry. “The most exciting part is that 3D design and the quality of Shapeways 3D printed metals allowed me to evolve from a fledgling artist with no previous metalworking experience to becoming a competitive jewelry designer with a well-rounded line that garnered attention from the trendsetters at Free People,” Yung_Crowley told us.

“…Shapeways 3D printed metals allowed me to evolve from a fledgling artist with no previous metalworking experience to becoming a competitive jewelry designer….”

When I asked how it felt for her to see her designs on the site, she said, “it’s very surreal to see my stuff on Free People because I turn to that website so much for inspiration, and I look up to a lot of the designers they carry.”

So, ladies and gentleman, head on over and check out Free People-approved designer Yung_Crowley!

The post STONEDALONE on Free People appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

3D Printing for Scale Models

If you’re interested in learning about scale modeling, Andrew will be at the International Plastic Modelers Society at 12:30 p.m. We’ll be talking about how 3D printing for Scale Modelers and what you need to know to get started.

Join the Shape.JS Design-Sharing Community

Then, at 7 p.m. near downtown Seattle, Alan Hudson will be giving a presentation that will introduce you to ShapeJS.com, a new community site for sharing customized products created using ShapeJS. Learn how you can create scripted products and sell these at Shapeways with Shape.JS.

For more Meetups in the Seattle area, join our new Meetup group here.

Cover image courtesy IPMS Seattle

The post Shapeways in Seattle This Saturday appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Where can you go when you need help with a model or mesh? If you’re like Lise, you can ask your colleagues at Shapeways. But, what’s the next best thing? The Shapeways Forums! They’re a great place to ask for advice, check out what community members are working on, and help other other people with their questions. The Shapeways forum community is super active, and many contributors are more than willing to lend a helping hand. This week, we’ll talk about our favorite Shapeways forum groups for designers and modelers.

Help With Design

Three of the Shapeways forums are especially helpful for design questions: First, the Design and Modeling Forum, where you can ask questions about converting models for 3D printing, repairing meshes, or solving design issues. Or, you can answer other designers’ questions if they overlap with your areas of expertise.

Second, the Software and Applications Forum is a great place to ask program-specific questions. You’ll find people talking about software like Fusion 360, Blender, and Netfabb, or discussing software-specific tools and techniques.

Finally, for questions about customizing your designs with CustomMaker or other tools, check out the Customizable Products & Design Forum. This is a great forum to explore if you’re considering making your designs easily personalizable.

Help With Printing

There are also specific forums focused on questions about 3D printing and physical post-processing. Here are three that are of particular interest to designers and product creators.

First, for questions about the 3D printing process itself, check out the Technologies and Hardware Forum.

To ask questions about printing with Strong & Flexible nylon, Alumide, plated metals, or any other types of materials, visit the Materials Forum.

And finally, to learn more about the various post-processing options you could apply to your models after they are printed, check out the Finishing Techniques Forum.

If you’re stuck on a design or printing issue, try looking through the forums for answers. If you can’t find one, just ask a new question. Chances are, a kind soul from the Shapeways community will come to your rescue! And, if you’re an expert or can solve problems, then pay it forward by answering other people’s questions. Do you have a favorite forum on Shapeways? Let us know in the comments!

Top and cover image photo credit: gruntzooki via Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA

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