Like the title says, are there any plans for a larger cutting area GF? Maybe a GF Pro MAX Larger cut area and a bit more powered laser?? Not sure if this is the correct section to ask this.
The passthrough is great on the pro when it works, but the 11 x 19.5 cutting area can be very limiting and a time-consuming process. I often find myself needing to cut pieces that are 16 x 22. I honestly wish they would make a unit that has a cut area of at least 16x24 with letās say a 60 or 80w laser. And give current owners a trade-in option to offset the cost of the new machine if they wanted to upgrade.
Another thing that concerns me is what happens if they go under and shut down? Will the GF become a useless device? I hate the fact that I have to log in to their servers to be able to operate it. Im sure this has been addressed or discussed to death many times already. I have been using my GF for a few years now, but I am just beginning to dive into the forum.
I truly doubt Glowforge will ever make a larger machine. Theyāre a consumer company that wants to sell direct to hobbyists and in craft stores. If they made the Glowforge an inch larger or a pound heavier, itād exceed the limits of what UPS and FedEx will deliver to residences. There are many places they can go from here that donāt involve competing with industrial sized laser cutters, like swappable heads (think: turn your Glowforge into a 3D printer with just a tiny accessory), a more cube shaped laser that can do round objects like tumblers and glasses, or a compact galvo laser that can engrave faster and engrave metal while taking up less space than a Glowforge.
If the company went under and shut down, the Glowforges would become a useless device. But itās pretty much unfathomable for that to happen. They have taken in over $70 million in fundingā¦ have a recurring revenue stream from Premium subscriptions and material salesā¦ sold over 100K machinesā¦ theyāre in 2 of the 3 largest craft store chainsā¦ and they have a tiny staff, fully outsourced production and fulfillment, and donāt own a single building. Theyāre running super lean and likely very profitable.
GFās end game is either continuing to grow, or being acquired by another company that would continue running the servers. Even in bankruptcy, the customer base with subscription revenue is an asset to sell to someone. Stranding the machines is super unlikely. Plus, you already took the risk when they were just a crowdfunded startup and made it through the riskiest years of the company. Weāre well past the āgotta raise another round of funding or we run out of runway and go out of businessā years I think.
I donāt know what they are planning, but the company has been around for YEARS and has not released any meaningful hardware updatesā¦ No better camera system, no deeper work area, no bigger work area, no rotary supportā¦
I think we should all come to terms with the fact that the Glowforge is what it is, and the only changes will be in software.
If the company dies, yes, the machines will be useless.
Larger cut area and a bit more powered laser?? Not sure if this is the correct section to ask this.