SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (jagowilson) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:07:27 +0000

They're great, back before I had a printer I would exclusively use the Fusion3 after trying the Makerbot, Stratasys and Lulzbot machines. It's definitely the most accurate one they have on site, and it can whip out parts pretty fast. When I finally got a printer I started making profiles for the Fusion3 myself, and it's pretty impressive what it can do.

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (elmoret) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 16:05:46 +0000

How do you like the Fusion3 printers?

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (jagowilson) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 15:59:49 +0000

We have a Makerbot in our lab and let me just say this is good news. The less people are able to buy these things, the better. Tired of fixing it. Universities seem to love Makerbots because it's an easy way to blow through all of your grant money thinking you got something special, like a Z18. I wouldn't be surprised if professors and universities make up a significant portion of their sales, because most people know better than Makerbot nowadays and won't drop the absurd amounts of cash they ask for. My university has finally seen the light and all newer purchases are through Fusion and Lulzbot, with the exception of our single Stratasys.

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (machinistjoe) — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 19:55:30 +0000

It's a shame, but I don't think it says much for the market in general. Makerbot pushed the price point too far, and they ended up with a printer line that was too costly for their general market.

I wonder how much design oversight Stratasys had?

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (Leghk) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 23:36:14 +0000

Adafruit blog got some responses to questions they had when the news broke last week - read more at their blog

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (IanJohnson) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 21:33:49 +0000

On G+ people from Lulzbot Printrbot and Ultimaker commented that they aren't seeing slowed growth. It's slowed growth compared to MBI's over-expansion, and predictions that they could keep expanding at that rate. Maybe there is slowed growth in the +$2000 printer space. If they had continued to produce a quality product and kept it under $1500, combined with their marketing and name recognition they would have continued to dominate. It seems like they expected to continue substantial growth in sales while pushing more into the smaller prosumer market.

Re: Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (DePartedPrinter) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 19:41:11 +0000

I wonder if the cuts are industry wide?

"Across the board throughout the industry we are seeing a very slow growth pace in the 3D printing space, and of course MakerBot is impacted by that as well."

Bre got out at the right time.

Might be a few more years before 3D printing is ready for the general consumer. (My guess is when it can actually make something useful for an unskilled consumer)

Makerbot lays off another 20% of their staff

null@example.com (elmoret) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:42:29 +0000

Second time in six months that they've done this.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/8/94779 … es-lawsuit