Oct.28, 2013
Dutch startup Protocow launches today an e-commerce platform for 3D printing services. This platform enables small 3D printing services to offer their website visitors online quotes and order fulfillment.
Protocow made a plugin 'STL Harvester' for your website that allows your visitors to upload their STL files. It provides an online and automatic quotation based on your prices. Protocow's STL harvester extracts the most important values out of the uploaded STL file and, depending on your 3D printing technique, calculates the best estimated price. Once order is placed, 3D printing services can automatically process their online orders. The 3D printing services receive the order, including the payment, via the same Protocow platform. So far this has been possible only via Shapeways, Materialise and Sculpteo.
"Last year, $800 million USD was spent [source: Wohlers 2013] on 3D prints. The market is growing 25% per year. 20% was produced by three companies with an online quotation and ordering system, such as Shapeways. The rest is being produced by smaller 3D printing companies, of which 500 are located in Europe. A lot of these companies handle their orders via email. That is quite labour-intensive." states Protocow in a press release.
"We believe that e-commerce should be as simple as Shopify. Protocow is the Shopify for 3d printing services."
Protocow co-founders Harold van der Hoeven, John Tillema, Dimer Schaefer and Raymond Muilwijk have been working on this online platform in the evenings and on weekends, for more than one year. The commission-based pricing model of Protocow offers a no –cure no pay quotation and ordering platform. Currently this platform is supported by different 3D printer importers in The Netherlands and Belgium.
Posted in 3D Printing Services
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Great idea, but the design and translation of the site isn't even finished.