Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
We visited the Shapeways's New York ofice, which like MakerBot, was a
scene of cheerful and rapid growth. The lobby of the tall mid-Manhattan ofice
building was littered with wooden scaffolding and someone had removed
company names from the lobby and elevator. After a few fruitless journeys up
and down, we found Shapeways on the ninth loor.
Robert Schouwenburg, co-founder of Shapeways, met us at the door. I had
met Robert in person a few years ago, in Eindhoven, when Shapeways was just
a few employees strong and its “factory” consisted of half a dozen printers in
a building in a rural industrial park. Like a good host, Robert greeted us and
offered us a hot cup of espresso (served in a 3D printed cup that boasted six
small handles).
A custom espresso cup printed (and in use) at Shapeways
Before Robert co-founded Shapeways in 2007, he worked as a “white hat”
hacker at a major consulting irm, breaking and entering company computer
networks to identify security holes. The leap from computer networks to run-
ning a 3D printing services irm makes sense if you see Shapeways from
Robert's perspective, as a “platform for personal fabrication that works for
the consumer and for the professional.” Robert sees the future of consumer
3D printing as one that's based on the notion of a service-oriented “platform”
rather than at-home fabrication.
