Hey guys!
I’m a 3D Printing Engineer at Shapeways and I am doing some research on new materials.
I want to ask you what you would like to see in our material portfolio.
Here is our current material portfolio:
Thanks in advance 
In all honesty I doubt anyone here is really going to care what you have in your portfolio. We design and print our own stuff. Sure it would be neat to see some stuff printed in abnormal materials but as for your portfolio, we aren’t the people that would buy from your company.
@Kevin_Danger_Powers thanks. I posted this here because maybe there are people that might print first on their own printers and then with us for a more finished product.
But thanks anyways
Since so many of us have access to FDM printers which can handle most plastics I’d focus on the metal/ceramic print materials as the capital expenditure for those printers are much higher. The only 3D printed thing I’ve ever purchased was because it was in steel and I couldn’t machine/cast it myself.
@Jim_Benson I see. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks 
@Jim_Benson so you’re basically saying. Metals and high temperature resistance plastics (high quality of course)
I’m definitely interested in stuff FDM’s can’t do: metals, materials that have thermosetting characteristics. I know people who are interested in food-safe and non-porous materials, so they can print drinking cups. (The stuff I print leaks!)
@John_Bump well we do have food-safe materials like porcelain. But I was more towards high temperature resistance plastics.
I’d like to see 3D printed sand mold for metal casting
@Max_Moors I’d have to agree with @Jim_Benson on this. If you shifted your focus on things that aren’t easy for your average person to make, you might get more attention.
I have bumped into the limits of home 3D printing on a number of occasions. Should I need more from my prints than my home printers can manage, I know where to come. Metal is definitely one thing I want to print in but can’t… Real metal, not metal impregnated plastic.
@Max_Moors I’ve been a long time user of Shapeways, It was my introduction to 3D printing before I was able to afford my own 3D printer.
As some have said, users in this forum most likely have a printer and can make moderately detailed parts for a low cost at home. But for those wanting to get into extremely high detailed parts, or parts in metal/ceramic, full color, etc there really is no comparison. I have to admit that since getting my own printer most of my designs/printing these days has been geared towards larger functional parts that can be printed cheaper at home, but I’ve also used my home printer to prototype parts before having them made at Shapeways in ceramic and other materials.
The skeleton hand handcuff keys I made several years ago would never turn out well on my home printer, but printed at shapeways in stainless steel they turned out beautifully 
and functional.
As far as suggestions, I would keep focusing on materials and processes that can’t be replicated by home based printers, especially FDM style ones. Honestly I’m not aware of many 3D printing materials/technologies NOT in your portfolio already.
https://plus.google.com/photos/109163380912754965269/albums/6468012594474780177/6468012593323474706
@Jason_D Thanks for the feedback I’ll pass this on to management 
BTW that’s a really nice handcuff 
I disagree that people here don’t care, I would like to see elastic materials and other metals etc.