FAME 3D announced a new 3D print service: LulzBot Direct.
The Fargo-based company manufactures robust desktop 3D printers, most notably the TAZ series. They are one of the very few US-based manufacturers of desktop 3D printers and should benefit from the new tariff regime.
We don’t know how the tariffs are affecting LulzBot operations, but we do know that they have launched a 3D print service. The idea is to accept 3D design files and then produce the parts on demand, shipping them directly to the customer.
FAME 3D explains the new service in an email announcement:
“LulzBot Direct is our high-volume 3D printing service built for speed, precision, and scale—whether it’s jigs, fixtures, prototypes, or production-ready parts. Tight timelines? No problem. Big batches? Bring it on.”
This may seem like a big shift for the company, but it really isn’t: they’ve been operating a massive print farm for many years.
In our visits to their Fargo factory, we’ve seen firsthand their rows and rows of LulzBot 3D printers. Normally, these machines are printing parts for LulzBot 3D printers: the printers are making parts for themselves.
In order to make their own production efficient, FAME 3D has finely tuned the print farm’s operation. We saw systems monitoring the farm, with only a few staff required to keep it going.
Now it seems that the company has decided to allow the public to make use of that same system. This is analogous to Amazon, where they developed a robust internal IT system that eventually became AWS when they launched it publicly.
The initial version of LulzBot Direct offers a straightforward interface: upload your file and request a quote. They currently accept “.STL, .STP, Solidworks, and most common files”.
There are more sophisticated print farm interfaces available from other companies, but this is the initial version from LulzBot that will no doubt add features over time, such as instant quoting.
Like their 3D printers, their print service could also benefit from new tariffs, as all of the production takes place within the US and therefore should have an advantage over non-US print farms.
Via LulzBot and LulzBot Direct
