CashMag

3D printing allows more businesses to bring their products to the market faster and more efficiently than ever before. The technology, although around for many years, has been a true game-changer in the past decade. At colorFabb, almost eight years young at the time of writing, we have seen 3D printing grow from a mainly hobby-oriented market, originating from the Reprap movement, to a confident additive manufacturing industry where more and more companies have not only made it part of their production and prototyping process, but even it made it their main way of producing.

One company using 3D printing as a way of producing their products is the French company CashMag, which is using various colorFabb copolyesters as their main material to print with. We asked them to tell a bit more about themselves and the way they work.

 

 

The desktop Cash Recylcer by CashMag – all images by CashMag and used with permission

 

About CashMag

CashMag is a leading French company in cashing solutions. They provide to their customers products like POS (point of sale) systems, cashing software with specific certifications for the French market and since 2008 Cash Recyclers!

 

 

What is a Cash Recycler?   “A Cash Recycler removes the need for staff to handle cash at the POS. It automates the payment process at Point Of Sale, improving the hygiene, deleting errors and shrinkage while enhancing security and staff productivity.”

 

The 5K Cash Recycler

With the Cash Recycler in the market they searched for a way to give a boost in productivity. The Cash Recycler was originally made of steel and they found it took long to improve existing products and to prototype new ones. So they turned towards 3D printing: “We started with 15 PRUSA i3 MK3 for our first try, and after several tests and improving our skills to this new technology we were able to produce good results. It lead to the production our first cash recycler 3D printing the 1F. Nowadays, we have 53 3D printers with different sizes and characteristics like Stacker 4 XL, RAISE PRO2+, MODIX BIG 60 etc… In 2018 we created the world first 100% 3D printed cash recyclers: the Desktop, the 5K and the 5T.”

Printing parts on the Stacker S4 XL

 

 

 

Our team found colorFabb and asked them for a solution. The nGen filament was the golden key!

 

CashMag’s material choice

CashMag explains further: “After a long time of tweaking our skills, we searched for a filament with the same characteristics of PETG but a little bit stronger and easy to print without warping. Our team found colorFabb and asked them for a solution. The nGen filament was the golden key! In February 2019, our CEO visited colorFabb in Netherlands to see how filament is produced and met with the colorFabb team in order to establish a good business relationship.”

They have also started working with PETG Economy with great results!

 

 

At colorFabb we value our working relationships with business partners and actively help to find the best possible material for their application. With CashMag we found that our range of co-polyesters, especially nGen, was the best fit for them. Custom development, as recently highlighted with Gantri is also a possibility. Interested to find out what material suits your needs best? Contact us!

 

About nGen

Almost 5 years ago, by the end of 2015, we released a new all-round material called nGen, next Generation, based on Eastman Amphora AM3300. We believed then (and still do) that this filament was a next step for 3D printing materials. It was our goal to bring a filament to the market that has functional properties, looks astonishingly good and prints like a dream.

nGen has been a hit ever since. This is not without reason. It is true all-round material suitable for most day to day 3D printing activities. Its chemical make up ensures a very consistent quality. An advantage over PLA is its elevated temperature resistance: 85 degrees C instead of 55 degrees C, so even in hotter climates (or a hot summer day) the material holds up extremely well. Below is a comparison chart of several of the Amphora based filaments compared to commodity materials like ABS and PLA.

You can read more on our dedicated landing page or our blog about co-polyesters.

nGen is an amazing material which enables users to create parts with gorgeous detail and the benefit of long term stability. Don’t just take our word for it. Below are some of the reviews that our users posted in our webshop:

“Its just the perfect Filament for me!”

“Printing as easy as PLA, but with better material properties.”

“nGen is very predictable and strong.”

“nGen is always my “go to” filament. It just prints beautifully. It’s strong, handles heat well, reliable, and just looks great.”

“… prints like butter 🙂 and the finish is absolutely perfect.”

Gantri

At colorFabb we not only produce our own high quality colorFabb-branded filaments, but also work closely with various customers to create bespoke filaments for their specific application. Gantri is the world’s first digital manufacturer for designer lighting and were looking for a manufacturer to develop a filament to suit their needs. With the creation of Gantri Plant Polymers, colorFabb has co-developed a sustainable material to print their lights with.

Designer light, printed by Gantri. All images by Gantri

Already being featured on websites like CNET and Additive Manufacturing, Gantri has been expanding their San Francisco-based company in a serious way!

“Gantri Plant Polymers is a reflection of our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” says Gantri founder and CEO, Ian Yang. “Our goal is to create great designs that you can feel good about. With our sustainable means of manufacturing, you can enjoy your new light knowing that it’s a better choice for the world.”

Gantri Plant Polymer, fresh of the spool

Says Ruud Rouleaux, founder and CEO of colorFabb: “Gantri’s need for a bespoke 3D printing filament fits perfect with colorFabb’s philosophy to develop materials for specific
applications, like the high quality lighting products Gantri produces. Innovation is in colorFabb’s DNA and what we are known for. By utilizing our 3D printing experience, material knowledge and a sustainable way of manufacturing, with 480 solar panel array and geo-thermal installation powering our production plant, we are able to produce the exact right material Gantri needs.”

Gantri Plant Polymer in production at colorFabb

 

The materials consist of two custom compounded PLA blends that are created to be durable, heat tolerant and diffuse light evenly. First is the diffusive blend that offers a frosted glass-like effect when lit. Second, the opaque blend — finished with a premium water-based paint, is 50% more temperature resistant than traditional PLAs and safe to use near electronics. Gantri Plant Polymers also offer similar tensile strengths to common plastics such as ABS and PET. The base of Gantri’s materials are raw polylactic acids derived from non-GMO, sustainably farmed sugar crops such as corn, sugar beets and sugar cane. The resulting compounded blends produce 75% less carbon dioxide per kilogram than conventional plastics and emits no carcinogens during production.

https://twitter.com/gantridesigns/status/1288235222991945728

Gantri Plant Polymers are used exclusively in Gantri lighting products.

 

About Gantri

Gantri’s mission is to empower design. Why are good designer lights so expensive? asks Gantri. Because traditional manufacturing makes it too difficult and costly for designers to bring groundbreaking ideas to market. This stymies human creativity and contributes to environmental concerns such as overproduction and shipping pollution. Gantri has completely reimagined the way lighting is developed, made and sold, empowering the world’s best designers to create design-forward, functional pieces for your life. Their manufacturing technologies are drastically more efficient, making good designers lights radically more attainable and sustainable.

Read more on Gantri’s website.

 

Custom materials at colorFabb

At colorFabb we meet the needs of our customers. Some applications require custom solutions and e like to think beyond what is already on the market and co-develop with you, like we did with Gantri.

One of the ways you can distinguish your print is with color. Color on Demand is our unique service where we produce PLA filaments in your preferred color. With nearly 200 RAL colors matched we probably have that color you are looking for! And if not, we can match your specific color for you.

Color on Demand is just the most visible part of our custom material offering. We produce specific materials and filaments for various customers like Gantri. Interested in your bespoke filament solution? Contact us!

6 years colorFabb_XT: A Look Back

This week it has been exactly 6 years ago that we launched colorFabb_XT at the 2014 edition of the 3D Print Show in London (remember those days?). With all the new materials, growth of colorFabb (& 3D printing in general) and our relentless goal to keep innovating it is sometimes easy to forget how special this moment was for colorFabb. Not only was this the first time a large chemical company (Eastman Chemical Company from Kingsport, TN) publicly partnered with a filament producer – something which is the norm today – but it also meant shifting our focus to functional materials.

Image

Our launch event booth at the London 3D Print Show 2014

Image

 

Eastman’s Amphora 3D polymers are low-odor and styrene free materials specifically developed for 3D printing. With Amphora based filaments, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive.

 

“Is Amphora a good material to 3D print? Absolutely – just make sure you have a heated build surface before you order some.”- Fabbaloo’s initial review

 

Platform Jack printed with colorFabb_XT by Intentional3D

 

colorFabb teamed up with Eastman Chemical Company to create colorFabb_XT, made with Eastman Amphora AM1800 3D Polymer. colorFabb_XT’s unique formulation features excellent properties: high strength, very high toughness, odor neutral processing and improved temperatures resistance. With its styrene free formulation, FDA food contact compliance and BPA (Bisphenol A ) free formulation colorFabb_XT allows the user to produce 3D printed functional products in a safe way.

 

After launching colorFabb_XT we launched several other copolyester filaments: nGen, colorFabb_HT, nGen_FLEX, PETG Economy and nGen_LUX. To read more about what the differences are and what the best applications for each material are, check out our blog What We Talk About When We Talk About Co-Polyesters.

 

Toyota engine made with colorFabb_XT by Korneel Bullens

 

With colorFabb_XT we have seen quite some amazing applications: from garden sprinklers to prosthetics (more below). As a functional material goes, it is one of the workhorses of the filament world. It does not end with the print itself. We have received numerous requests about post-processing. Together with Eastman we made a handy secondary operations guide for those who feel their finished print needs more work.

Read: How to post-process co-polyesters

 

678782

Although we have phased out some colors of the colorFabb_XT product line – with a few still on sale at the time of writing – we still ship the most popular ones daily, worldwide and from stock. Head to our webshop for your daily dose of XT!

 

Previous colorFabb_XT posts

Below are a few of the prints we made with colorFabb_XT over the past years.

Scissor Snake with our colorfabb_XT

Lamp hanger in colorFabb_XT

Garden sprinkler

Drain exit

Micrometer holder

GoPro Bike Mount

Prosthetic design

Upgrading our equipment

Prosthetic prototypes

Car door handle

NEMA 17 4:1 reduction gearbox

Remote control housing

3D printed pennyboard

 

 

 

Custom crutch grips

With varioShore TPU‘s first anniversary coming up in a few months we are glad to see that this unique material has found a steady following. Users from all over the world find new applications for our innovative 3D printing filament with active foaming technology. Researches at the Manchester Metropolitan University, together with PrintCity, have investigated the possibilities of custom crutch grips made with 3D printing.

A printed custom grip, made with varioShore TPU. All images by the researchers, re-used with permission

The article written by Elen J. Parry, Joshua M. Best and Craig E. Banks investigates the viability of digital technology, circular design approach and making bespoke parts. During their research to make a custom crutch grip the material of choice was varioShore TPU.

Read the full article here.

 

The paper investigates the viability of using digital technologies, including 3 dimensional laser scanning, reverse engineering techniques and additive manufacturing in order to create bespoke, on demand, customised accessories through re-usable materials to enforce a circular design approach. Crutch users with arthritis are identified as a patient user group who’s needs are not met by current solutions.

Rendering of a bespoke crutch grip

The researchers have demonstrated that 3D printing is an appropriate method of fabrication to provide bespoke and rapidly manufactured low-cost solutions. As per the paper:

… the total timeframe to complete digital scanning and file creation is approximately 20 min. Additive manufacturing can be leveraged 24/7 with the customised crutch grip rapidly fabricated within ∼10 h, with only material costs of £4.92/∼US$6.15/∼Є5.65. 

 

A finished crutch grip

The researchers opted for varioShore TPU as it was “the most optimal” of the materials tested: “The density of the material can be varied by adjusting the temperature and material flow rate. An increase in temperature and reduction in flow rate causes active foaming, reducing the part density. Through iterative experimentation, a set of printing profiles has been determined to deliver variations of density, allowing the creation of a highly customisable accessory.”

 

The success criteria decision matrix used for the paper

“In considering materials, Varioshore TPU offers interlayer adhesion that is significantly better than comparable materials.”

 

As support material Breakaway by Ultimaker was used, although these materials were not designed to work together.

Conclusion of the proof-of-concept study is that additive manufacturing is a valid low-cost method to make custom crutch grips, but “the findings are highly transferrable, and the same workflow could be applied to multiple crutch or walking stick variations.”

The study was made in co-operation with Manchester Metropolitan University and PrintCity (the university’s digital manufacturing centre)

 

About varioShore TPU

varioShore TPU allows users to vary the density of the material by adjusting temperature and material throughput (speed & layerheight). At temperatures between 200 and 250C the materials will start to expand to roughly 1.4-1.6 times its original volume. This means the material can be printed at low flow rates (60-70%), to compensate the active foaming, which in return gives very soft printed parts. Between 190-200C the material can be printed without foaming, resulting in different haptics and harder prints compared to foamed samples.

For this development colorFabb partnered with Lubrizol Engineered Polymers, a leading global producer of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), used in everyday consumer and industrial applications, with a strong global manufacturing and supply network.

Lubrizol Engineered Polymers’ expertise in TPU chemistry was key to provide a customized TPU with a wide range of processing temperatures and adequate melt viscosity, meeting the requirements during extrusion and printing. A wider range of thermal stability and melt rheology allows an extended upper range of printing temperatures to maximize the range of densities achieved through colorFabb’s unique filament foaming technology.

The result is a filament with a base TPU of 92A, which will work with most standard extruder set-ups for both Bowden and direct drive systems.

varioShore TPU is available now in Black and Natural and ships daily, from stock and worldwide.

 

DPA-100

Today we announce a brand new colorFabb material: DPA-100 – our first dissolvable support filament, specifically made for engineering materials.

colorFabb_XT and colorFabb PETG Economy printed with DPA-100. Topology optimized shelf bracket – by toms3dp

 

Learn more about the how-to and technical details here.

 

Beyond PVA

Unlike PVA our DPA-100 is less sensitive to moisture uptake and offers better shelf-life and print performance over time. It is a Dissolvable Polyacrylate material made to work specifically with engineering grade materials which are not suited for PVA, like PETG, ABS, ASA, PC and PA filaments. We have extensively tested DPA-100 on various 3D printing materials available in the market, both colorFabb and non-colorFabb branded.

DPA-100 is also perfectly suited for our range of co-polyester filaments: nGen, colorFabb_XT, colorFabb_HT and PETG Economy.

Quick guide: Which material and how?

Match Hotend temp Support Bed temp
nGen Yes 250 C 90C
colorFabb_XT Yes 250 C 90C
colorFabb_HT Yes 260 C 110C
PETG Economy Yes 250 C 90C
Generic ABS Yes 250C 100C
Generic ASA Yes 250C 100C

Read our full DPA-100 guide about the technical specifications and how to print.

 

Design by Ken Schulze

How to dissolve

Printing with DPA-100 is the first step. Dissolving the material is the second one. In order to dissolve DPA-100 you need a mild alkaline solution which is heated and stirred. At higher temperature DPA-100 will dissolve faster than at lower temperature. The temperature you choose depends on the temperature resistance of your build material. In general 20c below the temperature resistance of your build material is a safe settings. Thicker models would be less likely to deform and can handle temperatures closer to softening temperature. The minimum pH value for the alkaline solution is >10. We recommend using our DPA Detergent for making the alkaline solution.

The DPA Detergent is sold seperately from the DPA-100 filament.

 

Bicycle Helmet by Neomek

 

Detergent disclaimer

The detergent, dissolved in water, produces a mild alkaline which usually, together with the dissolved support material, can (in limited quantities) be disposed of via the wastewater. Please check your local regulations. You can acquire our waste profile datasheet by contacting support@colorfabb.com

Availability

DPA-100 and DPA detergent are available now exclusively from colorFabb’s website. Please note they are to be purchased separately.

DPA-100 is available as a 0.5kg spool and retails at € 120 ex VAT. Click here to head to our webshop.

DPA Detergent can be purchased per 1 kg drum at € 18 ex VAT and can be found here.

You can find all the relevant data sheets on the product pages.

 

Van Mierlo

At colorFabb we are proud of the partnerships we have. One of the success stories we are particularly fond of is our co-operation with Van Mierlo Technische Handelsonderming. Like colorFabb Van Mierlo is a technical service company creating added value in their products to meet their customers’ needs.

 

About Van Mierlo

Van Mierlo is a highly respected name when it comes to technical solutions. In the south of the Netherlands it owes its reputation to the quality, service and reliability it delivers. They supply their customers with an extensive range of products and solutions for, among other things, the metal industry, non-food sector and high-tech industry.

In 2013 van Mierlo BV celebrated its 50-year anniversary. This demonstrates the confidence that their customers have in them. As a preferred supplier of one of the largest organizations in the high-tech industry, Van Mierlo has a great deal of knowledge and experience with regard to the delivery of tools in the semicon industry. This makes Van Mierlo unique in this market. 

 

The tool cart inlay

Everybody’s needs regarding their tool box is very specific: the tools, the layout, the size… Van Mierlo saw 3D printing as the perfect opportunity to create custom made tool cart inlays. These tool cart inlays offer their users maximum flexibility to have all the tools they’ll need at their disposal.

 

A toolbox inlay, specifically for a UV light (design by Van Mierlo)

Whether safely storing measurement tools in a Quality Control department, needing a specific tool combination for each specific assembly station on a production line or being a maintenance engineer in need of certain tools at any given time.

Finding the right printer and material to create the inlays, Van Mierlo found the perfect combination of Stacker 3D printers and colorFabb’s PLA Economy filaments.

 

Last year we printed our own tool cart inlays. Check out that blog here!

At Van Mierlo the project started years ago. Working closely with colorFabb’s engineers they looked for the perfect solution in terms of hardware and materials. Starting with one Stacker 3D printer, they now have 5 Stackers running 24/7 devouring colorFabb filament. The amount of filament they have used so far stretches from colorFabb’s HQ to Berlin. How about that?

 

When creating an end product reliability is key. Measured over the past year and a half, the uptime of four Stackers was over 90%.

 

 

The tool cart inlays that Van Mierlo offers are a great example of how colorFabb’s application development has helped them finding the right printer and material to make this possible.

 

ABOUT PLA ECONOMY

PLA Economy is available on 2.2kg, 4.5kg and 8kg spools only. It is very well suited for the maker who needs quality filament at an affordable price. It is a perfect material for large volume and small series production, made with the guaranteed colorFabb quality that we are known for.

PLA Economy is now available in six of the most popular colors. ColorFabb PLA Economy is not a standard PLA. It has been modified for better layer adhesion and flow properties to get better performance over other basic PLA filaments. Because it’s made with the same processing technology used for other premium colorFabb products, this PLA Economy will be just as reliable.

Not sure if our big spools fit on your printer? Check out the dimensions here or print XL your own spool holder!

 

ABOUT STACKER S4 XL

Stacker is becoming the standard in industrial grade 3D printing, based on the technology and experience of the S2, S4 and S4-XL printers. The Stacker range of printers is the ultimate production platform within FDM for large scale and small series 3D printing.

As many of you know, we are the distributor of Stacker 3D printers in Europe. We have been working with Stacker ever since their first prototype and now have several in our print lab. In the past 7 years we have seen 3D printing emerging from a hobby market to more professional uses. A lot of our users are using 3D printing to make a living or at least support their business in one way or another.

 

 

For Stacker the term “industrial grade” is not a hollow marketing term. It means their printers are designed for extra long service life, extremely low maintenance and that the printer will maintain its positional accuracy throughout its life cycle. This printer has been designed to be used in a professional environment, be it for large prototypes or small series production.

Interested? Get a quote or contact us!

varioShore contest

Update: The winners! (April 17th 2020)

 

First place

Second place

https://twitter.com/r0ybent/status/1239635063085678593

Third place

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9cH3IwnRuv/

The winners have been contacted already.

 

Original post

Last year we launched our new flagship filament: varioShore TPU. This week we release the black varioShore TPU in addition to the natural color already available. But we’re not done yet. Hot on the heels of our very succesfull #MadeWithcolorFabb contest we have yet another contest.

 

This time it is a more specific contest and, you may have guessed it, we are looking for prints made with varioShore TPU. The unique properties enable a large group of makers to create amazing functional prints. We have seen cosplay, insoles and drones being printed and are looking for the next big thing! Inspire us and your fellow makers with your creativity.

 

What is varioShore TPU?

varioShore TPU allows users to vary the density of the material by adjusting temperature and material throughput (speed & layerheight). At temperatures between 200 and 250C the materials will start to expand to roughly 1.4-1.6 times its original volume. This means the material can be printed at low flow rates (60-70%), to compensate the active foaming, which in return gives very soft printed parts. Between 190-200C the material can be printed without foaming, resulting in different haptics and harder prints compared to foamed samples.

The base TPU is a 92A material, which will work with most standard extruder set-ups for both Bowden and direct drive systems. Learn more about varioShore in our lengthy blog post.

To enable you to print with our innovative filament we also lowered the price of varioShore TPU with 10% during the contest. Click here to head to our webshop!

 

varioShore contest rules

  • Contest lasts until March 31st 2020 midnight CET
  • All entries to be posted on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
  • Tag colorFabb and use the hashtag #varioShore
  • Credit the designer if the design is not yours
  • Extra points for originality and functionality
  • Entries to be judged by colorFabb employees
  • Entries can be used by colorFabb for marketing purposes
  • Photos, gifs and videos are allowed

 

What can you win?

It’s worth it. Let’s see what you can win:

1st prize: 16 spools of colorFabb filament 

2nd prize: 8 spools of colorFabb filament

3rd prize: 4 spools of colorFabb filament

(regular 600, 650, 700 and/or 750 grams spools from stock)

Winners will be announced in the first week of April.

 

 

Introducing: Color Favorites

Today we introduce Color Favorites (or Colour Favourites, for you using the English spelling), our brand new special filament category.

Magneto design by Pascal Ackermann (link)

 

What is ‘Color Favorites’

Color Favorites is the new category within Color on Demand. Every since we launched Color on Demand, back in June 2018, we have received a lot of requests for certain colors, but with a special effect, or with an additive. We are now adding some of them in a separate category, starting with two much sought after colors.

 

Smokey Black

A semi transparent black filament with interesting light transmittance quality. Great for printing luminaires and other artifacts which need to hide the light source but also emit light.

Lamp design by Flowalistik (link)

Click here to go directly to our webshop.

 

Milky White

Another semi transparent white filament with excellent surface quality finish after printing. Due to the semi transparent surface details look crisp and smooth.

Click here to go directly to our webshop.

 

Availability

Both Milky White and Smokey Black are made to order, being part of our Color on Demand program. We do not keep stock of these products. Please keep a lead time of at least a week in mind for these filaments.

More colors and effects will be added in the months to come. Stay tuned.

 

Your own color

At colorFabb we think that customization does not end with the unique design and print you make. Color should be choice as well. With Color on Demand we offer a wide range of custom made colors. We have already matched most of the RAL Classic colors, but can of course make a tailor-made color especially for you! Click here for our Color Request form and have your own color made by us!

 

varioShore TPU Black

Now available: varioShore TPU Black.

Design by Flying Ginger (link), remixed by colorFabb with inscription

With the launch of varioShore TPU in October last year we added a new flagship product to our ever expanding portfolio of high quality 3D printing filaments. Initially launched in a single neutral color, varioShore TPU can now also be ordered as a black filament. We recently ran a poll on both Twitter and Facebook and our users clearly chose black as our next varioShore TPU color:

 

What is varioShore TPU?

varioShore TPU allows users to vary the density of the material by adjusting temperature and material throughput (speed & layerheight). At temperatures between 200 and 250C the materials will start to expand to roughly 1.4-1.6 times its original volume. This means the material can be printed at low flow rates (60-70%), to compensate the active foaming, which in return gives very soft printed parts. Between 190-200C the material can be printed without foaming, resulting in different haptics and harder prints compared to foamed samples.

This part is an excellent demonstrator for varioShore TPU material. The ergonomic grip of the bike handle really is perfect to demonstrate the haptic experience of a foamed TPU material. It’s very different from a regular TPU material, much softer surface and better grip.

3 main advantages

varioShore TPU is flexible in more ways than one:

  1. This material is not limited to one shore hardness, but with the right print settings you can have multiple shore hardnesses – even in one print!
  2. We used our LW-PLA technology in this filament as well to reduce weight significantly. Although the weight reduction of varioShore TPU is not as significant as LW-PLA, the weight of the overall print is noticable and can make the difference for prints where weight matters.
  3. Prints that need a soft touch, like handle bars for bikes or shoe soles are no problem anymore with varioShore TPU.

 

“It really is a fantastic development… Incredible innovation.” – Steve Cox

“Another astonishing FDM material development from the colorFabb team.” – Richard Horne

“Another amazing product by colorFabb!” – Bart Tangermann

 

Click here to head directly to our webshop. Shipping starts in week 8 of February.

7 years later…

This month it is exactly 7 years ago that colorFabb saw the light of day. It looked a little bit like this…

Basically a garage with an office, first production of our spools and our first show: RapidPro

 

Well, 7 years later…

 

In February 2013 we launched our first products at the RapidPro trade show here in the Netherlands. We had about 20 colors PLA/PHA and only 2.85mm filament. It was still in the early days when there were only a few of us and we constantly had to explain: “No, we are not selling the printers, we make the filament.” (Disclaimer: these days we do sell printers!)

One of our first tweets when we had 10 followers or so.

A lot happened in the past seven years. We basically started in a garage booth with an idea and a lot of ambition. The idea is still the same: to bring the best possible filament to the market and make sure we meet the need of our customers. The ambition has only grown over the past years. The only thing we left behind was the small garage and the little office above. To give you an idea, the image below was our print lab / logistics:

Scale: almost 1:1

In the meantime we moved twice, went from 20 products to 3200+ SKUs (with more to come in 2020), expanded our staff from 3 to almost 30, we became an independent company, ship to 70+ countries worldwide, have the best customers in the world (yes, that’s you) and have been running, working, printing and producing almost 24/7 to make sure you get the best possible filament to print with.

colorFabb has become a company and brand we are very proud of. The biggest shift is the focus on custom colors with our Color on Demand service. We nearly have all the standard RAL classics available (180+ and counting) and have even matched several hundred more colors. But we don’t stop there: Brand new products like LW-PLA and varioShore TPU have been launched, as well as strategic co-operations with brands like Ninjatek, Lubrizol, igus and Iroprint to ensure our customers have the right filament to suit their needs.

You can find more specific recaps per year by clicking on the links below (2013, when we started is sadly lacking, but believe us when we say it was awesome):

 

What’s next?

“What’s past is prologue.” 

~ William Shakespeare

 

And that prologue has been amazing and we will work hard to make the next seven years (and beyond) even better. We thank all our users, customers, partners and staff for making colorFabb the brand and the company it is today!

Get ready for a year full of great new material developments!