Amazon.com has launched a new store that will 3D print goods for delivery. The Printed Products store allows users to change size, colour, material and even aspect of the design.
The store itself has products already present including jewellery, electronics, toys, home décor and even kitchen supplies. The actual printing and files provision is done by third parties including Mixee, Scupteo and 3DLT.
This is a huge deal for 3D printing which allows for products to go from design files to real-world objects with very few stages in between. Being endorsed by a giant like Amazon may be the push 3D printing needs to reach the mainstream and allow for small companies to compete with established manufacturers.
For the pessimists out there it may also be a shrewd move by America's Amazon to take some power back from the Chinese monopoly on manufacturing.
Amazon reckons this is a first for this type of product selling. It offers a customisation tool which uses a widget allowing users to make changes before seeing it in a 3D preview.
Prices for item will vary but they should be around the $30 mark and go up from there depending on size and material. There's no word yet on whether it will be introduced for the UK market too.
Amazon Marketplace sales director Petra Schindler-Carte said: "The introduction of our 3D Printed Products store suggests the beginnings of a shift in online retail – that manufacturing can be more nimble to provide an immersive customer experience."
READ: 3D printing: Everything you need to know and when it'll be affordable