8 ms·

Minor nitpick with the title - the 3D printing will not be done in store (yet), it will be done offsite and shipped for pick up in store.

by sawyer 14y ago

rmason 14y ago
If you want to rapidly iterate on a design this simply isn't going to work. Waiting a day between versions greatly limits the usefulness of this service.
- mmcdan 14y ago
  It's all about perspective. 1day turnaround is very slow for software but extremely fast for hardware. In the harware world, high-quality parts turnaround in 1 day is revolutionary.
- anigbrowl 14y ago
  If you need to rapidly iterate that badly, then you're probably going to buy a 3d printer for your business. Not everyone requires this.
rorrr 14y ago
This makes little sense. Ordering a 3D model online is easier, they ship it to your door (and it's probably cheaper).
- hrabago 14y ago
  However this does make the service that much more visible. I'm not sure that 3D printing is that well known yet. Also, dealing with a B&M establishment provides some with additional assurances that they may not have with an online-only business.
- mmcdan 14y ago
  I would argue the exact opposite. Online printing turnaround time is slower, costs more(for printing in batches), and is inconvenient when UPS/Fedex keep leaving "sorry we missed you" notices because you're at work.
  - rorrr 14y ago
    As opposed to what? Staples doing the same, but then you have to go pick it up.
    - sophacles 14y ago
      In-store pickup is nice in that once it's there, it's there. You can just go grab it at your convenience, instead of dealing with the "can only pickup during this small window" thing UPS does.
      - rorrr 14y ago
        Huh? UPS delivers to my door.
        sophacles 14y ago
        Wierd. UPS Delivers to my door only when I am at work. Then, if I don't want to/can't take time off, they tell me I must pick it up between 7 and 9 pm, as those are the only acceptable times, unless I call and arrange a pickup at the office instead of a delivery. If I am really lucky, when I call and arrange for a pickup, they will actually keep it in the office, and won't send it out on the next day's truck. After 3 attempts at this, they return it to sender. I guess you don't live somewhere interesting and/or don't leave the house.
        Avenger42 14y ago
        UPS delivers to my door too - but they literally drop it there, ring the doorbell and leave. If it's raining, the package gets soaked. If the neighborhood kids are particularly rowdy, my package is gone when I get home. Dropping it off at a specific location and requiring me to show up and prove my identity before I can take it home fixes these issues, among others.
        Evbn 14y ago
        BufferBox will solve this problem.
wtvanhest 14y ago
Good catch, that is a major point to me. There is still no reason for them to have stores as a business. They are basically a direct competitor with XYZ internet 3D printer. If they have any success at all, it is meaningless to their bottom line because Amazon and everyone else will be joining in. [Edit] [Deleted]: "only less convenient since you need to go to the store to pick it up instead of it just being on your door when you get home."
- shardling 14y ago
  The article specifically mentions home delivery as an option.
- anigbrowl 14y ago
  Wrong for 3 reasons, I think: 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. 2. Established supplier for many businesses, which means employees can start using it without having to go through the vendor approval process. It's much easier to dip into an existing corporate budget for some new project than to create a budget for it. 3. First mover advantage. It would be better again if they had it in the actual stores, but I bet that's coming in larger markets.
  - stevewilhelm 14y ago
    > 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. I think you are overestimating the skill level of the average Staples employee.
    - Evbn 14y ago
      I think you are overestimating the skill level of the average Staples customer.
  - wtvanhest 14y ago
    I like the way you phrased this: "Wrong for 3 reasons, I think:" Here is my counter argument for what it is worth. 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. Someone below pointed out that you may be overestimating in store associates. I'm not sure eitherway, but what I do know is that the printing will be done offsight and I would rather deal with a specialist over the web than someone who does some 3D printing, and sells regular printers etc. for my product. 2. Established supplier for many businesses, which means employees can start using it without having to go through the vendor approval process. It's much easier to dip into an existing corporate budget for some new project than to create a budget for it. This is a great point and I could definitely see some value coming from the fact that I could just give my admin a part number for a 3D print rather than go through a ton of work getting a vendor approved. 3. First mover advantage. It would be better again if they had it in the actual stores, but I bet that's coming in larger markets. Almost never in the history of business has a first mover advantage been a real advantage. I say almost because there was a previous discussion where someone mentioned 2 or 3 big companies that have done it, but the other 497 fortune 500 companies were copying someone else.
MichaelApproved 14y ago
I think it's more than a minor nitpick. The appeal of 3D printing is that you get the end result quickly.
- randomdata 14y ago
  Is there a technology that is as versatile and cost effective for small scale batches, but slower to finalize the product? The promise of 3D printing is appealing to me because it means I can start making things out of materials that I have thought to be previously out of my budget's reach. Time is less of a concern from my point of view. If someone can create my one-off plastic model using, say, injection moulding for tens of dollars but it takes a month to get back to me, I'm cool with that. Does such a thing even exist though?
  - DanielStraight 14y ago
    Not quite one-off, but you can get small runs of injected molded parts from Protomold: http://www.protomold.com/ http://www.protomold.com/ They also do machined parts on a smaller scale: http://www.firstcut.com/ http://www.firstcut.com/
    - randomdata 14y ago
      Though your fisrt link says it starts at $1495, compared to the $2 that some 3D printing services start at. You can build some pretty impressive things for under $100 with 3D tech. I'm not sure it is the same league. The second link might be a little closer though.
      - kapkapkap 14y ago
        They two links are for the same company. The first link is for an injection MOLD. The mold can produce a few thousand parts at ~$1-$3/each. For 1,000-10,000 parts, ProtoMold is an great option.
        14y ago
nickpinkston 14y ago
Oh interesting - good catch!

Minor nitpick with the title - the 3D printing will not be done in store (yet), it will be done offsite and shipped for pick up in store.

by sawyer 14y ago

Minor nitpick with the title - the 3D printing will not be done in store (yet), it will be done offsite and shipped for pick up in store.

rmason 14y ago

If you want to rapidly iterate on a design this simply isn't going to work. Waiting a day between versions greatly limits the usefulness of this service.

mmcdan 14y ago
It's all about perspective. 1day turnaround is very slow for software but extremely fast for hardware. In the harware world, high-quality parts turnaround in 1 day is revolutionary.
anigbrowl 14y ago
If you need to rapidly iterate that badly, then you're probably going to buy a 3d printer for your business. Not everyone requires this.

rorrr 14y ago

This makes little sense. Ordering a 3D model online is easier, they ship it to your door (and it's probably cheaper).

hrabago 14y ago
However this does make the service that much more visible. I'm not sure that 3D printing is that well known yet. Also, dealing with a B&M establishment provides some with additional assurances that they may not have with an online-only business.
mmcdan 14y ago
I would argue the exact opposite. Online printing turnaround time is slower, costs more(for printing in batches), and is inconvenient when UPS/Fedex keep leaving "sorry we missed you" notices because you're at work.
- rorrr 14y ago
  As opposed to what? Staples doing the same, but then you have to go pick it up.
  - sophacles 14y ago
    In-store pickup is nice in that once it's there, it's there. You can just go grab it at your convenience, instead of dealing with the "can only pickup during this small window" thing UPS does.
    - rorrr 14y ago
      Huh? UPS delivers to my door.
      - sophacles 14y ago
        Wierd. UPS Delivers to my door only when I am at work. Then, if I don't want to/can't take time off, they tell me I must pick it up between 7 and 9 pm, as those are the only acceptable times, unless I call and arrange a pickup at the office instead of a delivery. If I am really lucky, when I call and arrange for a pickup, they will actually keep it in the office, and won't send it out on the next day's truck. After 3 attempts at this, they return it to sender. I guess you don't live somewhere interesting and/or don't leave the house.
      - Avenger42 14y ago
        UPS delivers to my door too - but they literally drop it there, ring the doorbell and leave. If it's raining, the package gets soaked. If the neighborhood kids are particularly rowdy, my package is gone when I get home. Dropping it off at a specific location and requiring me to show up and prove my identity before I can take it home fixes these issues, among others.
        Evbn 14y ago
        BufferBox will solve this problem.

wtvanhest 14y ago

Good catch, that is a major point to me. There is still no reason for them to have stores as a business. They are basically a direct competitor with XYZ internet 3D printer. If they have any success at all, it is meaningless to their bottom line because Amazon and everyone else will be joining in. [Edit] [Deleted]: "only less convenient since you need to go to the store to pick it up instead of it just being on your door when you get home."

shardling 14y ago
The article specifically mentions home delivery as an option.
anigbrowl 14y ago
Wrong for 3 reasons, I think: 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. 2. Established supplier for many businesses, which means employees can start using it without having to go through the vendor approval process. It's much easier to dip into an existing corporate budget for some new project than to create a budget for it. 3. First mover advantage. It would be better again if they had it in the actual stores, but I bet that's coming in larger markets.
- stevewilhelm 14y ago
  > 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. I think you are overestimating the skill level of the average Staples employee.
  - Evbn 14y ago
    I think you are overestimating the skill level of the average Staples customer.
- wtvanhest 14y ago
  I like the way you phrased this: "Wrong for 3 reasons, I think:" Here is my counter argument for what it is worth. 1. in-person help and advice from store associates. Someone below pointed out that you may be overestimating in store associates. I'm not sure eitherway, but what I do know is that the printing will be done offsight and I would rather deal with a specialist over the web than someone who does some 3D printing, and sells regular printers etc. for my product. 2. Established supplier for many businesses, which means employees can start using it without having to go through the vendor approval process. It's much easier to dip into an existing corporate budget for some new project than to create a budget for it. This is a great point and I could definitely see some value coming from the fact that I could just give my admin a part number for a 3D print rather than go through a ton of work getting a vendor approved. 3. First mover advantage. It would be better again if they had it in the actual stores, but I bet that's coming in larger markets. Almost never in the history of business has a first mover advantage been a real advantage. I say almost because there was a previous discussion where someone mentioned 2 or 3 big companies that have done it, but the other 497 fortune 500 companies were copying someone else.

MichaelApproved 14y ago

I think it's more than a minor nitpick. The appeal of 3D printing is that you get the end result quickly.

randomdata 14y ago
Is there a technology that is as versatile and cost effective for small scale batches, but slower to finalize the product? The promise of 3D printing is appealing to me because it means I can start making things out of materials that I have thought to be previously out of my budget's reach. Time is less of a concern from my point of view. If someone can create my one-off plastic model using, say, injection moulding for tens of dollars but it takes a month to get back to me, I'm cool with that. Does such a thing even exist though?
- DanielStraight 14y ago
  Not quite one-off, but you can get small runs of injected molded parts from Protomold: http://www.protomold.com/ http://www.protomold.com/ They also do machined parts on a smaller scale: http://www.firstcut.com/ http://www.firstcut.com/
  - randomdata 14y ago
    Though your fisrt link says it starts at $1495, compared to the $2 that some 3D printing services start at. You can build some pretty impressive things for under $100 with 3D tech. I'm not sure it is the same league. The second link might be a little closer though.
    - kapkapkap 14y ago
      They two links are for the same company. The first link is for an injection MOLD. The mold can produce a few thousand parts at ~$1-$3/each. For 1,000-10,000 parts, ProtoMold is an great option.
      - 14y ago

nickpinkston 14y ago

Oh interesting - good catch!