As the three little pigs famously learned in a well-known fairy tale lesson, materials ultimately make or break a project: the better the materials used, the better the ultimate potential for creation. In the 3D printing space, this is even more obvious, as we can see through the ever-broadening range of available filaments, pellets, and other stuff to make stuff from.
One of the standouts in this scene has long been colorFabb, the Dutch filament producer that has impressed us over and over again with their incredible filaments made from high-quality source materials ranging from wood to bronze. As they’ve introduced filament after filament, from bronzeFill and glowFill to copperFill to bambooFill to brassFill to XT-CF20 made with carbon fiber, we’ve seen them prove time and time again that they stand strong.
And now, the company announces, they stand alone. Well, not quite alone–but the filament manufacturer is now an independent entity.
“This week colorFabb took a big step by becoming an independent company: colorFabb BV. Up until last week colorFabb was still a brand of Helian Polymers,” the company said in a release.
Founder Ruud Rouleaux began with his “first experiments” during the summer of 2012, seeking to create high-quality filaments for 3D printing. His background in plastic industry additives and masterbatches clearly served him well, as the colorFabb brand officially launched in March 2013. The colorFabb line, however, remained a brand under the ownership umbrella of Helian Polymers.
Helian Polymers, founded by Ruud Rouleaux in 2011, serves the plastics industry with offerings including biopolymers, masterbatches, and functional additives. In addition to the colorFabb line, Helian Polymers involved itself in the 3D printing space as the official distributor of Eastman Amphora 3D polymer, which is used to create colorFabb XT-Copolyester Filament.
With the success evident in the growth of the colorFabb filament line, it seemed clear that now was an important time, as the decision was made to spin the brand into its own company.
“We saw colorFabb growing at an unprecedented rate in the past two years,” they said, “and having colorFabb ‘only’ as a brand did not suffice to ensure the growth and expansion we foresee for the future.”
The decision to become “colorFabb, the Company” doesn’t seem so out of place, given the popularity of the filaments among makers. Creations made using colorFabb filaments can be shined and polished to look like high-quality, high-cost metal busts, exquisite pieces for cosplay, religious sculptures and art, or fully functional racing bikes.
“Our goal is simple, we want to supply the community with the highest quality filament possible,” colorFabb notes. “We believe in constant development of our materials, which is why we will continue looking for amazing materials to adapt to the 3d printing. New materials inspire new applications for 3d printing and will also draw new users to the world of 3d printing.”
And now colorFabb will continue to fulfill their mission statement as their own company. To mark the occasion, they’ve updated their company video to show the inner workings on the colorFabb team, which can be seen below. Let us know your thoughts on this business move in the colorFabb forum thread on 3DPB.com.
