Prusa Research to Build 3D Printers in the US

Prusa Research is set to establish the manufacturing of both filaments and 3D printers in the US. This move will enable it to cater to the US market more effectively with its excellent filament while also positioning itself to secure more US government contracts. Prusa bought Printed Solid in 2022 to handle customer service, repairs, and sales support in the states. This latest move means that the Prague-based firm can even better serve its US customers.

The US operation, located in Delaware, will have 30 employees compared to Prague’s 1,000, so it is still small, but this can change.

“Our goal is to become the largest manufacturer of 3D printers and filaments in the USA within a year,” Josef Prusa said.

A lot of the logic behind the move is to be found in manufacturing resilience and friendshoring, with Josef going on to say:

¨”In an era where 3D printing is becoming increasingly crucial for innovation and intellectual property development, we believe local manufacturing is essential for long-term prosperity and security. While recent years have seen a trend of offshoring production, we’re committed to reversing this by bringing manufacturing back to the region. Our approach is rooted in transparency and trust: our software is open-source and fully auditable, and now, our manufacturing facilities are open for visits. By localizing production, we’re not just reducing security risks—we’re fostering innovation, supporting local economies, and building trust in this transformative technology,”

David Randolph the CEO of Printed Solid stated: “We are thrilled to make Prusa products and customer service even more accessible and affordable to our customers here in the United States. At the same time, we are proud to be expanding our workforce and providing more job opportunities for Americans. By increasing our manufacturing capabilities here in Newark, Delaware, we are not only delivering high-quality Prusa products to our customers but also contributing to the local economy and supporting American workers.”

This month, the company will start manufacturing MK4 3D printers in the US. Subsequently, it will also produce filament and offer repair services there. The company aims to source more components in the US as well. Recently, Prusa has introduced a new industrial delta printer, suitable for PEI and PEKK, and released enclosures for the XL and mini printers. The XL printer itself is a much more sophisticated device with multiple tool heads.

Prusa’s designs have led to millions of printers. The Prague team is maniacal about quality and QA. The printers they make are really very good. However, Bambu Lab’s full-on assault on the industry is hurting them, as it is everyone else. The move to the US is a good one because it allows the company to better support universities, print farms, and industrial firms. Prusament filament is also excellent and reasonably priced. A move into more industrial filaments such as PEI and other high-performance materials will generate significantly more revenue in that market.

I really do believe they could become the biggest vendor of filaments in the US, displacing a lot of low-quality Amazon filament and hurting other producers like Keene and Polymaker. Tight tolerances and good performance make it my favorite filament. So, a limited US move seems like an excellent strategy.

 US Government Work

The move could indeed help Prusa sell extensively to universities and pick up more print farm business. Increased service and local support could attract a lot more customers. While many people are considering Bambu printers for print farm work, and others use Creality and similar brands as near disposable machines, Prusa’s reputation for quality and service might offer a compelling alternative. Larger firms still favor their Ultimakers, and Prusa has not yet conquered the enterprise market, but this move appears aimed at catering to enterprise customers.

In industries such as aerospace, Bambu is not an option due to fears that the printers will harvest files and other information. This creates a significant opportunity for Prusa to serve the US military and government directly. The group of US-made printers includes brands like Gigabot, Markforged, Ultimaker, Filament Innovations, Fusion3, Juggerbot, and Lulzbot, making up a small grouping. Prusa could make substantial inroads in areas like expeditionary printers and producing jigs and fixtures for aerospace.

Additionally, if Prusa wanted to scale to tens of thousands of machines quickly, expanding into Ukraine might offer a quicker path to relevance and profitability, given the country’s reliance on desktop machines to produce tens of thousands of drones per month.