07-16-2015: Pirx – the Polish manufacturer of the first truly affordable desktop 3D printers, officially confirmed its closure
Pirx gained its popularity in 2013 thanks to a super cheap, wooden 3D printer priced around €600 EUR
On July 16, 2015, Pirx 3D – a Kraków-based Polish startup that produced super cheap desktop 3D printers, announced it was ceasing operations. The decision was surprising as just a few months earlier the company had introduced a new 3D printer which, apart from its original and more robust design, promised to print in full color! Additionally, Pirx was finalizing a distribution agreement with Poland's largest electronics distributor – ABC Data. So, what happened…?
Ok, so this story is pretty obscure even for Polish 3D printing industry veterans. Pirx’s history dates back to the very early days of amateur 3D printing in Poland, and many people might not only have forgotten about it but might not even have known it existed! Meanwhile, it had its brief moment of fame that inspired many other young entrepreneurs to enter the 3D printing field.
Pirx gained its popularity in 2013 thanks to a super cheap, wooden 3D printer priced around 2500 PLN (~600 EUR). This made it the cheapest fully assembled 3D printer on the Polish market. It was an excellent entry-level option for hobbyists who didn’t want to or couldn’t build their own RepRap, as well as for small businesses and schools. In 2014, in terms of sales, Pirx was one of the most popular 3D printers in Poland.
Soon, a large local electronics manufacturer invested in the company. Unfortunately, it turned out that what works for a small startup is unsatisfactory for a typical production enterprise. A low price means a low margin – which, with relatively small sales and a lack of the so-called “economies of scale,” hampers growth and the development of distribution channels.
The response to this was supposed to be Pirx One, which cost twice as much. It had an elegant and sophisticated white sheet metal casing. Unfortunately, it turned out to be no different from what had been on the market for a long time, causing the company to lose both of its biggest advantages – a proven, albeit simplistic design combined with an exceptionally low price.
So, at the beginning of 2015, the company announced that it was starting work on a version that would print in full color. Easier said than done…
The immediate reason for Pirx ceasing operations was the failure of this project. Reportedly, the work on it was already quite advanced, but it likely took too long for the investor’s patience, who simply halted the project. Piotr Lipert, CEO of Pirx, stated that in light of the failure to produce the full-color device, the team decided to shut down operations as no one was interested in creating “yet another ordinary 3D printer.”
Source: www.centrumdruku3d.pl