Caribou, a renowned German 3D printer manufacturer, has recently announced that they will be shutting down their web shop, caribou3d.com. This comes as a disappointing surprise to many, as Caribou has been operating for eight successful years, producing a range of 3D printers and associated hardware. Their flagship 3D printer, the CaribouIDEX, which is known for its dual extrusion capability, has garnered much praise in the industry.
Founder Wolfgang Schadow expressed his sadness in making this announcement, citing the last eight months as being particularly challenging. The 3D print market has undergone significant changes, with the emergence of new products that have disrupted the market. Schadow believes that these products, while initially appealing due to their low prices, will eventually lead to a decrease in innovation and diversity. Additionally, he expresses concern that the open-source idea in the industry is also at risk.
Caribou’s inability to compete with the aggressive pricing and cut-throat competition led to substantial financial losses that cannot be justified. However, Schadow reassures customers that despite shutting down their web shop, the Caribou brand will continue to exist. The company will focus on development for business customers and research projects, and Schadow hopes to share their newer developments through platforms like Facebook groups and GitHub.
This announcement from Caribou may not be an isolated incident in the 3D printer industry. The competition has become fierce, and many Western companies are struggling to match the low prices of increasingly capable equipment produced in Asia. Caribou’s CaribouIDEX machine, though highly regarded for its components, is priced significantly higher than similar non-IDEX machines on the market.
Years ago, inexpensive machines from Asia were often unreliable and produced low-quality output. In response, Western companies focused on producing machines with more reliable components. However, the quality of Asian machines has steadily improved over time, making them more reliable and capable of producing high-quality prints. This may explain why the previous advantage of Western companies, based on superior components, is no longer as significant. If this trend continues, other companies in a similar situation as Caribou may also face difficulties.
While the closure of Caribou’s web shop is certainly disappointing, their commitment to continuing their brand and serving business customers and research projects is admirable. It will be interesting to see how the 3D printer industry evolves in the face of changing market dynamics and increased competition from Asia.
