As 2024 draws to a close, the team at 3DCentral reflects on an extraordinary year of growth, innovation, and community building. Our Quebec-based print farm expanded significantly, our catalog grew to over 4,000 designs, and we deepened partnerships with talented artists across the 3D design community. Here are the highlights that defined our year.
Facility Expansion: 200 Printers and Counting
At the start of 2024, our Laval facility operated approximately 120 printers. By year’s end, we crossed the 200-printer threshold, marking a significant capacity expansion that enables us to serve growing demand while maintaining our commitment to quality and reasonable lead times.
This expansion was not just about adding machines. We redesigned our facility layout to improve workflow, added dedicated quality inspection stations, expanded our filament storage capacity, and implemented new monitoring systems that allow our team to manage the larger fleet efficiently.
The expansion also allowed us to bring new materials into production. We added 15 new PLA color options, expanded our PETG offerings, and began testing specialty filaments like wood-fill and metal-fill PLA for future product launches.
Operating 200 printers simultaneously is both impressive and challenging. Our production team developed new scheduling algorithms, implemented preventive maintenance programs, and refined our calibration processes to ensure every printer consistently produces quality results.
Catalog Growth: Over 4,000 Designs
Our 2024 catalog growth exceeded our projections. We added over 1,500 new designs across all categories, bringing our total catalog to more than 4,000 unique items.
Our ducks collection grew from 800 to over 1,200 designs, cementing our position as Canada’s premier source for 3D printed duck collectibles. From classic rubber ducks to themed variants (holiday ducks, career ducks, fantasy ducks, and more), the breadth of duck designs is truly remarkable.
The gnomes category saw similar expansion, with over 400 new gnome designs added throughout the year. Seasonal gnomes for Halloween, Christmas, and spring holidays proved particularly popular with collectors building themed displays.
Our fantasy and figurines categories expanded with collaborations from artists like Cinderwing3D, McGybeer, and Arbiter. These partnerships bring professional-grade designs to our catalog while supporting independent artists in the 3D design community.
Artist Collaborations and Community Support
3DCentral’s success depends on the talented designers who create the models we print. In 2024, we formalized partnerships with over 30 community artists, bringing their designs to our catalog and compensating them for every piece sold.
These collaborations benefit everyone. Artists gain access to our production capacity and customer base without managing their own print farm. Customers gain access to professional designs that would otherwise require individual purchases from multiple sources. We gain a diverse catalog that we could never produce internally.
Our commercial license program also grew significantly in 2024. Print farm operators and Etsy sellers across Canada and the US now subscribe to our Commercial License, gaining legal access to print and sell designs from our catalog. This program creates a sustainable revenue model for designers while enabling small businesses to thrive.
We are proud to be part of an ecosystem where designers create, manufacturers produce, and sellers distribute – all benefiting from the flexibility and low capital requirements of 3D printing.
Seasonal Collections and Limited Releases
2024 saw our most ambitious seasonal collections to date. Our Halloween collection launched in September with over 200 spooky-themed items from ghostly gnomes to skeleton ducks. The collection was our strongest seasonal launch ever.
Christmas 2024 brought over 300 holiday-themed designs to our seasonal category. Santa gnomes, reindeer ducks, snowman figurines, and ornamental decorations filled our production queue throughout November and December.
We also experimented with limited-time releases. These collections stay available for just 4-6 weeks before being retired, creating collector urgency. The “Summer Beach Party Ducks” collection and “Autumn Harvest Gnomes” both sold exceptionally well under this model.
Looking ahead to 2025, we are planning even more ambitious seasonal collections, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, summer themes, and back-to-school collections.
Quality Improvements and Process Refinements
Behind the scenes, 2024 was a year of relentless process improvement. Our quality inspection protocols became more rigorous. Our slicer profiles were refined through thousands of test prints. Our post-processing workflows became more efficient.
We reduced our print failure rate from approximately 8% at the start of the year to under 4% by year’s end. This improvement saved materials, reduced waste, accelerated fulfillment times, and improved environmental performance.
Our packaging also improved significantly. We redesigned our protective packaging to better protect delicate features during shipping while reducing material waste. Customer feedback on product condition upon arrival improved measurably.
Print time optimization was another focus. By refining print speeds, acceleration settings, and support generation, we reduced average print times by approximately 15% without sacrificing quality. These minutes add up across thousands of prints monthly.
Amazon Integration and Multi-Channel Sales
In 2024, we expanded our presence on Amazon.ca, making 3DCentral products accessible to customers who prefer Amazon’s checkout experience and Prime shipping.
Amazon integration required significant operational adjustments. Amazon’s fulfillment expectations are demanding, and meeting their standards pushed us to improve our own processes. The result is better service for all customers, regardless of where they order.
We carefully balance our direct sales channel with Amazon sales. Direct sales through our website provide better margins and direct customer relationships. Amazon provides reach and credibility that drives brand awareness. Both channels support our growth.
Behind the Scenes: Team Growth
3DCentral’s team grew from 12 full-time employees at the start of 2024 to 18 by year’s end. New hires included print operators, quality inspectors, customer service representatives, and a dedicated product manager to oversee catalog expansion.
Our team culture emphasizes quality, creativity, and continuous improvement. We encourage everyone to suggest process improvements, experiment with new techniques, and take ownership of their areas.
Several team members have been with 3DCentral since our early days with just 20 printers. Watching the operation grow from a small startup to a 200-printer facility has been rewarding for everyone involved.
Environmental Initiatives
Sustainability has always been core to 3DCentral’s mission. In 2024, we formalized our environmental commitments with measurable goals.
We implemented a comprehensive recycling program for failed prints and support material. Rather than discarding PLA waste, we aggregate it for recycling into new filament. While not yet a closed-loop system, it is a significant step toward waste reduction.
We also conducted a carbon footprint analysis of our operations. The results confirmed that local manufacturing dramatically reduces transportation emissions compared to overseas alternatives. A collectible shipped from Quebec to Toronto generates approximately 5% of the carbon emissions of the same item shipped from overseas.
Our Quebec facility’s electricity comes primarily from hydroelectric power, further reducing our carbon footprint compared to regions dependent on fossil fuel electricity generation.
Customer Feedback and Community Engagement
Our customers drive our product development. Throughout 2024, we actively solicited feedback through post-purchase surveys, social media engagement, and direct customer service interactions.
The most common request was for more articulated designs – figurines with moving parts that can be posed. We responded by adding over 100 articulated designs to our catalog, including articulated dragons, poseable robots, and flexible creatures.
Customers also requested more multi-color options. While single-color prints remain our volume driver, we expanded our multi-color offerings in response to demand, particularly for premium figurines where color variety enhances the visual impact.
We started a “Customer Design Contest” where customers could submit their own 3D models for consideration. Winning designs were added to our catalog with the designer receiving credit and compensation for sales. The community response exceeded our expectations.
Challenges Overcome
2024 was not without challenges. We faced significant filament price increases in Q2 due to supply chain disruptions. Rather than passing the entire cost to customers, we absorbed a portion while optimizing our printing processes to reduce material waste.
We also experienced our first major equipment failure when a power surge damaged six printers simultaneously. Our equipment redundancy and maintenance practices ensured minimal production disruption, but the incident reinforced the importance of robust backup systems.
Scaling customer service to match our growth required significant attention. As order volume increased, our small customer service team became overwhelmed. We hired additional staff and implemented better ticketing systems to ensure every customer receives prompt, helpful support.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we enter 2025, our roadmap is ambitious. We are planning further facility expansion to reach 250-300 printers. We are exploring new materials including biodegradable wood-fill PLA and recycled PETG. We are expanding our artist partnership program to bring even more diverse designs to our catalog.
Product-wise, we are developing several new categories. Functional desk accessories, outdoor-safe PETG garden decorations, and large-format display pieces are all in development for 2025 launches.
Our commercial license program will expand with new tiers, additional support resources, and exclusive designs available only to license subscribers. We want to be the go-to resource for print farm operators and Etsy sellers across North America.
International expansion is also on the horizon. While our focus remains Canada and the US, we are exploring how to serve European customers more effectively in 2025 and beyond.
Thank You to Our Community
3DCentral’s success is built on community support. Thank you to every customer who chose our products for their collection or as gifts. Thank you to the artists who trust us with their designs. Thank you to our commercial license subscribers who build their businesses with our catalog. And thank you to our amazing team who brings everything together.
Browse our current collection of ducks, gnomes, figurines, and fantasy creatures to see what made 2024 such an exciting year. Here’s to an even better 2025.
FAQ: 3DCentral Operations
How has 3DCentral grown since launch?
We have grown from 20 printers and a few hundred designs in our early days to over 200 printers and 4,000+ designs by the end of 2024. Our team has grown from 4 to 18 employees during this time.
What are the best-selling products of 2024?
Our duck collection consistently outsells other categories. Specific best-sellers include classic rubber ducks, holiday-themed ducks, and career-themed ducks (nurse ducks, construction worker ducks, etc).
How do you choose which designs to add to the catalog?
We evaluate designs based on visual appeal, printability, expected customer demand, and design uniqueness. Artist partnerships bring professional-grade designs while internal development focuses on trending themes and customer requests.
Will 3DCentral ever offer resin prints?
We remain committed to FDM printing for its durability, safety, production speed, and environmental advantages. Resin printing may be evaluated for specific product lines in the future but is not currently planned.
How can I suggest a product idea?
Contact our customer service team with your suggestions. We review all customer feedback and many products in our catalog originated from customer requests.
