Partnership between Tinkerine and PrinterWorks to Increase Access to 3D Printers

The leading manufacturer and distributor of 3D printers in Canada, Tinkerine Studios Ltd., announced today the formation of a partnership with the company PrinterWorks. PrinterWorks, founded in 2000 as a laser printer repair and service company, is today one of the largest independent managed print service companies in Western Canada. The result of this partnership is that PrinterWorks will be able to use Tinkerine’s newest printers in order to provide managed 3D printing services to its bevy of corporate and enterprise clients.

Tinkerine develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells 3D printers, software and materials for both education and consumer markets. The producer of the DittoPro, Ditto+ and Litto 3D, will be further advancing its status as a heavyweight in the 3D printing industry through this offering of service depots nationwide. This means that consumers can go to PrinterWorks and service their 3D printing needs in a single location.

Eugene Suyu, Tinkerine’s CEO explained the benefits that this partnership will bring to both companies and their clients:

“Partnering with PrinterWorks allows us to continue to leverage the power of 3D print managed services as a significant part of future revenue. PrinterWorks has a tremendous track record in providing managed print services to some of Western Canada’s biggest school districts, private and public health care, and services organizations, with best in class print managed solutions that both control and manage overall printing costs. For Tinkerine, there is a natural tie-in to the school districts and other customers that PrinterWorks supports and services. We think there is a real opportunity in the market now to offer high performance, reliable and affordable hardware, dedicated service (training), and unparalleled technical support to 3D printing customers.”

This is just one of a multitude of efforts around the world to make 3D printing more accessible, both physically and technologically, to a wider audience. In the past several years, we’ve seen a number of initiatives building upon cloud technologies that allow for remote printing. This particular initiative however attempts to offer services that go beyond those offered through companies such as Shapeways, for example, and move into the realm of integrated printing solutions. Stefano Walker, PrinterWorks’ VP of sales and marketing, described the nature of this new alliance:

“PrinterWorks has always been on the leading edge of providing innovative printer and copier solutions to our clients; we remain the leading independent provider of Managed Print Services to enterprise-level clients in Western Canada. The addition of 3-D printing technologies to our mix is an exciting leap forward into the future of our industry! Our service, sales, and distribution infrastructures are ideally suited to complement Tinkerine’s presence in the growing 3-D printing market. From “go to market” strategies, distribution models, vision, and corporate culture – the many synergies and organizations share make Tinkerine a natural partner for PrinterWorks.”

As partnerships continue to expand, we are seeing a more widespread use of 3D printers around the globe.  In under two years we have gone from a state in which barely anyone had access to printers, to one in which nearly everyone in developed countries have some sort of access to this technology.  Let’s hear your thoughts on this partnership in the Tinkerine/Printerworks forum thread on 3DPB.com.