Home 3D Printer 3D Printer Manufacturer Solidoodle Suspends Operations

3D Printer Manufacturer Solidoodle Suspends Operations

Solidoodle founder and CEO Sam Cervantes announced in a blog post on their website that the company is suspending its operations.

Founded in 2011, the Brooklyn-based manufacturer shipped over ten thousand of its affordable consumer 3D printers from its factory in Brooklyn. With increasing demand, Solidoodle was forced to outsource the production for their 5th generation printer to China. “We had been largely successful purchasing components in China, so manufacturing our entire product there seemed like the next logical step,” Cevantes states.

solidoodle-press-2Unfortunately, this step turned out to be the starting point of their downward spiral, resulting in declining sales and therefore layoffs. Although Solidoodle had spend months in China to build up the new partnership and train workers, printers that did not meet the company’s standards were shipped.

In July 2015, the company received additional funding from investors but was unable to revive sales in order to return to profitability and ran out of cash by the end of the year. Nevertheless, they were able to fulfill outstanding orders except for a few dozen customers. New Matter has stepped up to ship free MOD-t 3D printers to the remaining customers. “I am very grateful to Steve Schell and the New Matter team for their generosity and dedication to the industry,” said Sam. “They were under no obligation to step up and are receiving no financial compensation to help us.”

He closes: “While the Solidoodle chapter is unfortunately coming to an end, it’s important to remember that together we achieved many successes. Since 2011 we showed the world that 3D printers could be made both affordable and accessible to put the means of production into the hands of average citizens. We shipped over ten thousand 3D printers to customers in 60 countries. Customers have used those 3D printers to unleash their creativity, teach children about technology, and even print prosthetic hands for amputees. Together, we played an important part in advancing 3D printing from a relatively unknown technology into a powerful force of creation. While the Solidoodle era is ending, the digital manufacturing revolution is only just beginning. I’m grateful to have taken this journey with all of you and I have great faith in the human spirit of creativity to continue using technology to build a smarter, happier, more sustainable society.”


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