Stratasys expands relationship with Ricoh

Israeli 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys has expanded its relationship with Ricoh NZ, with the company set to offer Stratasys' entire product range in New Zealand; Tasman Machinery will no longer sell the company’s products.

Tasman Machinery has been a reseller of Stratasys industrial 3D printers in New Zealand since 2009, and expanded its offerings in 2013 when Stratasys acquired 3D printer maker Objet.

Objective3D will continue to distribute Stratasys products in New Zealand.

Ricoh was appointed distributor of MakerBot consumer level 3D printers in December 2013, shortly after Stratasys acquired MakerBot. The move surprised commentators because Stratasys’ focus had until then been on high end industrial 3D printers.

Ricoh NZ issued a statement on 3 July saying “Tasman Machinery announced today that it will no longer be a reseller of Stratasys 3D printers in New Zealand and that, as of today, Ricoh New Zealand will assume their responsibility for sales and support of the Stratasys range of products in New Zealand.”

It quoted Tasman Machinery director, Clive Harknett, describing the move as a “natural evolution” saying “Tasman and Ricoh—which has been selling and supporting the MakerBot range of 3D printers—have often exhibited and worked together in order to provide a comprehensive offering designed to meet the needs of New Zealand customers… Tasman and Ricoh have now decided, in the interests of the New Zealand market, that Ricoh is the party best suited to support the Stratasys product range, moving into the future, in addition to the MakerBot range they already carry.”

Stratasys said Ricoh NZ would offer added value to the Stratasys partner network with its long-standing experience in offering office imaging, production printing, IT services and document solutions to organisations ranging from government departments and education to enterprise and SMBs.

“Combined with Stratasys’ expertise in the 3D printing domain and comprehensive suite of professional 3D printing solutions and materials, the partnership will spearhead Stratasys’ commitment to demonstrate the versatile applications of 3D printing solutions—from multi-material and multi-functional prototypes and customised tools to end-use production parts—to organisations and local businesses in the market,” Stratasys said.

Stratasys’ ANZ manager Shiry Saar said the closer partnership with Ricoh would help the company understand the New Zealand information technology and industrial automation landscape.

“Additive manufacturing has been recognised as one of the technologies integral for companies to realise industry 4.0, and we are committed to equipping customers with the most suitable 3D printing solution, from a desktop printer up to production system, helping them innovate and maximise efficiency with the support of trusted local partners,” she said. 

Correction: The article incorrectly described Ricoh NZ as the exclusive distributor of Stratasys products in New Zealand.