Solidoodle 4
International CES first-timer Solidoodle has been getting the most out of the thronging crowds in the TCT + Personalize-sponsored 3D Printing TechZone, largely supported by the slick machine on display.
This is Brooklyn-based Solidoodle's fourth generation 3D printer and the smooth black casing of this plug-and-play device is the perfect specimen for the burgeoning consumer 3D printing marketplace.
The Solidoodle team has been swamped with enquiries about the Solidoodle 4 3D Printer, but Sam Cervantes, founder and CEO, and Yahea Abdulla, PR and distribution, managed to find a little time to speak to TCT about their experience at the Las Vegas event and their latest product.
"We have brand new model here. For 1,000 bucks you won't find a better printer on the market," said Cervantes.
"Solidoodle stands for affordable and easy to use - out of the box printing," he continued. "We have been around for two and a half years and we've sold 10,000 printers."
Cervantes was keen to stress Solidoodle is on a different plain from other smaller 3D printer manufacturers. "Most of the printers you see here are vapour wear," he said. "So many companies are selling printers they have not even produced yet. We have an excellent reputation. We are quick to take things to market and we're quick to make announcements. We are not announcing products we haven't designed yet."
Cervantes and Abdulla showed TCT how easy it is to set up the new Solidoodle machine. It requires very little tinkering - none in fact - which makes it a very attractive product for the consumer 3D printing marketplace.
"Assembly is out of the box with a snap fit lock for the filament," explained Abdulla. "We've made some improvements to this model. We have been working on a new extruder design this past year. It's been designed to help cool the filament so you just pull it out. It's really easy."
Cervantes said: "We announced this on Black Friday. It's funny because our largest customer is dads, actually. Dads like to buy these machines to build toys with their kids. So the dads love to print toys with their children and the mums don't mind because it doesn't cost too much and it looks just like an appliance."
In addition to techy fathers, the pair listed their other main markets, including schools, designers and students.
"Schools are interested in incorporating it into their classrooms. In a one school we work with, they have five printers set up," Cervantes revealed.
"Some of our customers are retired engineers - they like the sturdy steel frame and the fact they can modify it a little bit," he added. "We've had a lot of interest from retailers. Everybody is asking how do we get this in our store? We're actually one of the best selling 3D printers in the iMakr store in London."
Solidoodle is doing extremely well in the increasingly crowded desktop 3D printing marketplace, and so the attention the company’s stand has received at its CES debut has been a real bonus.
"It's been great here these past few days. I am amazed. People cannot believe they can 3D print at this price. It's our first CES and there's a lot of the press are here and it's just been great talking to everybody."
"I've been blown away by CES," Abdulla added. "[The visitors] ask you questions about the machine and they can't believe it. The 3D printers speak for themselves. This is our first year and people are seeing our machine and talking to us - it's been really great."
"Next year we will absolutely be here - but with a bigger booth," Cervantes concluded.
