3D printing services retail outlet, Blu-Bin has opened its first bay area location at the Great Mall in Milpitas CA. The shop is the first Blu-Bin location opened since the company expanded from Vermont in April and specialises in making 3D printing, 3D scanning, and custom design easy as ordering a cup of coffee.
Described as the “first Starbucks for 3D printing” – we assume this also means they aim to have one on every corner – the store’s new location was chosen specifically for its rank as one of the highest trafficked malls in the Bay Area.
Blu-Bin is a retail 3D printing company founded in 2012 and for the past three years has helped tens of thousands of people and companies across the country turn their ideas into objects using 3D printing.
“Our mission is to make 3D printing a part of everyone’s daily life,” explained Alder Riley, CEO of Blu-Bin, “Whether it’s a prototype for pitching to investors or a replacement part for around the house we can make it, and our services are specifically tailored to make 3D printing easy for anyone regardless of skill level. You walk up, tell us what you want, and we make it.”
Visitors to Blu-Bin’s Great Mall shop can purchase pre-printed items, have items or people 3D scanned for free, or commission custom 3D printed items. The company also offers an interesting pricing structure whereby the printed object is priced by size based on a series of ‘bins’ labelled from small to extra large. Prices range from $4.99 to $49.99.
3D printing in the retail space has experienced some ups and downs over the last year with MakerBot’s decision to close all three of its retail outlets in the U.S. showing a different story to that of major electrical retailers such as Telepoint in Germany partnering with 3D printing companies to open up retail experience spaces. However, with ventures like Blu-Bin and on-demand services at UPS, the 3D print “to-go” style remains a popular option for getting 3D printing to the masses.
The Great Mall shop is located at 447 Great Mall Drive in Milpitas between Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret.
