The Ultimaker is the new kid on the block for 3D printing which officially started selling in May 2011. In just the first months, close to 3000 Ultimakers were sold to makers and tinkerers across the world!
The Ultimaker founders. From left to right, Siert Wijnia, Martijn Elserman and Erik de Bruijn
We are committed to making 3D printing better, faster and simpler. Also, the Ultimaker is designed to print larger objects, while the printer only occupies a small space on your desktop. Well over a thousand Ultimakers have been shipped, worldwide, and many people have built them during workshops that were given in Dutch FabLabs. Ultimately, we will make personal 3D printing a better experience, accessible to anyone!
Ultimaker currently employs more than 20 people who are passionate to bring you the best 3D printing experience.
About the founders
Martijn Elserman, Designer
With many years of experience from running his own 2D printing company, Martijn decided to add another dimension. Martijn has a designer background, who started tinkering with his RepRap in the early days of the project, together with Erik de Bruijn and Siert Wijnia. He has a tremendous experience in designing for the laser cutter and with rapid prototyping new designs, including the process that comes afterwards: scaling up for production. For Ultimaking Ltd. Martijn is the lead designer of the mechanics and is also responsible for procurement. Martijn is the father of two children… and a RepRap, and many many Ultimakers.
Erik de Bruijn, MSc.
Erik de Bruijn got his masters degree in Information Management at the University of Tilburg. In the course of his studies he has been implementing the academic teachings into two IT companies, which he co-founded, resulting in dynamic and knowledge intensive companies. The companies almost exclusively profit from use and development of open source software.
Erik has a passion for technology, especially technologies that potentially have disruptive effects. Since early 2008, Erik has been fully immersed in the RepRap project. RepRap is a collaborative, open source effort to create a machine that can create objects of arbitrary shape, including copies of its own parts. In may 2008, Erik was one of the first RepRappers to replicate functional parts and in 2009 to replicate a full machine (RepRap Darwin). The replication and open source aspects serve as enablers for a unique form of distributed innovation that was previously only seen in software and (virtual) open content. Besides being a core developer for the project, he frequently gives lectures on distributed innovation and hands-on workshops on how to assemble your own copy of this machine.
He has been involved in a research project with Eric von Hippel (MIT) and Jeroen de Jong (E.I.M.) to assess knowledge transfers between actors in the additive manufacturing industry and to better understand open source innovation in the RepRap user community. In 2011 he co-founded Ultimaking LTD, a company that develops and sells a fast, large build volume, open-source 3D printer: the Ultimaker.
With his passion for, and years of experience in building 3D printers, continuing his work with the Ultimaker was the logical next step. For Ultimaking Ltd., he performs several roles, ranging from software and electronics design to streamlining business processes. At the same time he spends his time as an evangelist of open source 3D printing in general. So far, Erik has grandfathered two RepRap machines with his first RepRap Darwin 3D printer and built a few Ultimakers.
For more information, see Erik’s profile.
Siert Wijnia, MSc.
Siert Wijnia is a mechanical engineer by education and has worked for a large industrial player for several years. He rediscovered his passion for making, collaborating and sharing when he had the opportunity to help start up FabLab Protospace in Utrecht, where he’s currently the lab manager. For Ultimaker, Siert performs a diverse range of tasks, including mechanical and electronics design.
