While Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may believe that 3D printing is still a long way from changing the way industry makes and distributes products, his online marketplace isn’t shying away from the opportunity to sell the revolutionary technology.
In a recent addition to its website, Amazon has decided to add a new section to it’s “Industrial & Scientific” market category – “3D Printers & Supplies”.
A quick look around the section gave me the impression that Amazon is still catering to the Maker segment of the 3D Printing community. Among the products available are the MakerBot Replicator2, the LulzBot AO-101, the Airwolf3D and a number of other models.
In addition to printers Amazon is offering a vast selection of both ABS and PLA filament, inspection and repair tools as well as enough parts to design and build your own 3D printer. If you’re in need of a CAD solution, Amazon is also offering a number of software packages. However, in my quick glance around I didn’t come across any 3D modeling packages that would be suitable for designing 3D printable models.
While Amazon’s dedicated 3D printing section is still in a pretty raw form at the moment (most printers have little to no product description, and just highlight a products key features) the online giant’s entry into the 3D printing marketplace is a welcome addition. As the section grows it’ll likely become a major factor in driving down the price of the technology, at least at the Maker level, and further accelerate widespread 3D printer adoption.
Image Courtesy of Amazon