Tag Archives: ssys

3D printer sales could get boost from Amazon, Wal-Mart

Retail giants such as Amazon.com and Wal-Mart Stores could give 3-D printing a much needed boost in the nascent consumer market, Pacific Crest Securities says. BothAmazon.com (AMZN) and Wal-Mart (WMT) have pilot programs in place involving 3-D printed objects. “We see the entrance of retail giants into 3-D printing as positive,” Pacific Crest analyst Weston Twigg said in a note Wednesday. “If large retailers embrace it, printer sales and materials usage should increase and awareness improve, benefitting companies like 3D Systems (DDD) and Stratasys (SSYS).” In March, Amazon launched a pilot program to allow service providers to sell 3-D printed objects on its website. Last October, Wal-Mart started its own pilot test, offering 3-D imaging and printing-services programs. The two programs lay a foundation for future growth, Twigg said. “Over the next few years, we anticipate that retail giants like Amazon and Wal-Mart could begin to drive an evolution in…

Stratasys, 3D Systems left behind on Elon’s space capsule

The entry of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) into the 3D printing market isn’t the only competitive challenge facing Stratasys (SSYS) and 3D Systems (DDD), the two U.S. market leaders. When it comes to the production of supersophisticated parts — like those used in rocket engines — the leaders in metal-based 3D (DDD) printing come from Germany. Just ask Elon Musk, founder of rocket ship maker SpaceX and the CEO of electric car company Tesla (TSLA). Musk headlined the unveiling of the second version of its space capsule, Dragon Version 2, at the company’s expansive headquarters facility in Hawthorne, Calif., Thursday evening. SpaceX has a long-term, multibillion-dollar contract with NASA to provide transportation to and from the International Space Station. The new Dragon capsule, which seats seven, is expected to send astronauts to the ISS in a few years. From start to finish, the development of the capsule will cost more than $800 million, Musk said. Dragon Version 1 is for cargo delivery only.  

Autodesk, Google, HP, Apple eye consumer 3D printer market

Investors are down on 3D printer stocks now amid slowing sales and overhyped expectations. But consumers are still interested in home 3D printers and more companies might enter the market. Today, 3D printers are mainly used by businesses for making fast prototypes, models and one-of-a-kind parts. But many tech companies see opportunities to sell low-cost 3D printers to home hobbyists and students. A recent survey by RBC Capital Markets found a nascent consumer market “with growth expected to accelerate significantly near term.” The most familiar consumer 3D printer brands are MakerBot, a unit of Stratasys (SSYS), and Cube, a product of 3D Systems (DDD), the survey showed. Printers from those companies are the favorites to be purchased by likely buyers, RBC said. Formlabs was the third most popular brand among likely buyers.