Our very first..
Back in 2013 colorFabb was already producing their number one success with PLA/PHA, but they were looking to expand on this. Looking for more high quality and unique filaments to be added to the portfolio, they were continously testing new compounds.
It was not before someone asked “Why don’t you make a wood filament?” that they thought "Why not?". Granted, they weren’t the first, but the filament world was still young and with their compounding partner FKuR, located in Willich, Germany, they went to work.
woodFill became colorFabb's first 'special fill' and has been a showstopper ever since.
3D Printing Show, London
“Are you guys printing wood?!” are the words Ruud Rouleaux heard many times when he took colorFabb’s woodFill to the London 3D Print Show in November of 2013.
As heard many, many times during those 3 days:
“It smells like… wood.”
“That’s because there is real wood in the filament.”
“But how did you get the smell in there?”
“Because there is real wood in the filament.”
We admit, the main component is our signature PLA/PHA, but the wood is what makes the filament truly special.
We started with two variations: woodFill Fine and woodFill Coarse. Problem was that the Coarse could only be printed with a 0.8 nozzle and sales reflected that people were not eager to switch nozzles a lot. Only after a few months we discontinued woodFill Coarse and focused entirely on woodFill Fine. But a few times every year someone informs if there are still some spools of the Coarse left."
After woodFill colorFabb expanded the range with bambooFill (since discontinued) and corkFill (still available). Both great materials, but woodFill will always have a special place in colorFabb's portfolio as their first special filament.
As with dozens of tech-companies, colorFabb's started in what was essentially a garage, an idea and long hours of work, dedication and commitment.
colorFabb was founded by Ruud Rouleaux, currently CEO and owner of Helian Polymers, in the winter of 2012-2013. With extensive knowledge of the (bio) plastics industry, colorants and additives it was a logical next step for him to explore opportunities in the world of 3D printing. After rigorous testing and experimenting prior to colorFabb's inception a new grade of PLA (PLA/PHA) was developed and it became commercially available in March 2013.
Fast forward to 2023, 10 years later, colorFabb has grown into a household name in the 3D printing industry, with a large portfolio of high quality filaments, years of knowledge and praised customer service. Celebrate our anniversary with us this year, with special campaigns, new products, interesting articles, giveaways and more!
- colorFabb
