Nascent 3D print market blossoms for reseller

Printerbase is starting to see sales expansion in 3D printers as a niche category

The 3D printer market might remain an emerging one for some time to come, but at least one reseller is already starting to make inroads with the category.

Peter Knight, founder and director of Printerbase, said the Ashton-under-Lyne print specialist has been carrying a number of models from high-profile vendor 3D Systems for a couple of months, and working with the education market in particular to grow sales.

"Our strategy is that we're working vertical by vertical, and currently we're in education," he confirmed. "The next step will be moving into verticals such as engineering and architecture."

Knight said Printerbase had become interested in 3D printers as a fascinating new technology that is finally becoming accessible to a range of specialist customers in the design and technology arenas. On top of that, the reseller had begun to receive more customer enquiries.

"We are carrying 3D Systems' Cube generation three models and the Cube Pro, which comes in three different models. There's also a 5000 model," he said.

Sales appear to be trickling in and growing slowly, with Printerbase working to educate and train the customers in using the devices, often on a one-to-one basis, as well as helping them choose the right one.

According to Knight, their own experiments with their in-house 3D printer have revealed there can be something of a learning curve for many customers.

"There are essentially pages and pages of knowledge that aren't in the documentation," he said.

That makes the role of the reseller particularly key, although 3D Systems itself is also working "fairly closely" with Printerbase to help develop the market, in part through an attractive warranty structure, Knight indicated.

In future, Printerbase will explore other verticals, although a strong consumer market is likely a long way away, Knight said, and it has been looking at other brands such as the MakerBot to see where additional offerings may benefit both customer and reseller.

Most channel companies supplying 3D printers now are specialists in pro-print or engineering, although several IT channel distributors such as Ingram and Midwich also stock the category.