United Parcel Service said Wednesday that it will test a consumer and small-business 3-D printing service through its franchised UPS Store chain and that it will use a printer from Stratasys of Eden Prairie.
For the test, UPS chose the Stratasys uPrint SE Plus printer, which starts at about $16,000. The printer should be able to produce engineering parts, functional prototypes, acting props, architectural models, and fixtures for cameras, lights and cables, UPS said.
3-D printers are a hot technology that hold out the promise of revolutionizing the manufacture of some everyday objects — such as coffee pots, machine parts and, to the dismay of some, guns — by personal devices that print physical objects by layering deposits of sprayed material.
The UPS test "represents another example of how 3-D printing is being evaluated as a mainstream process within product development and manufacturing," said Shane Glenn, Stratasys vice president of investor relations.
UPS said its franchised UPS Stores will be the first nationwide retailer to test a 3-D printing service. It expects to serve start-ups, small businesses and retail customers.
There are 4,300 UPS Store locations. The first to offer 3-D printing will be in the San Diego area, although the exact date wasn't announced.
UPS said in a statement that the 3-D printing service will be added to stores "in additional cities across the United States in the near future."
Stratasys has dual headquarters in Eden Prairie and in Rehovat, Israel.