At Prusa Research, we love to do as much as possible in-house. This hands-on approach allows us to oversee the entire manufacturing process—whether it’s our award-winning 3D printers, top-tier Prusament filaments, or exceptional software like PrusaSlicer and Prusa Connect. This level of control ensures the consistent quality you can rely on.

One prime example of such an approach is our Prusament. Manufactured on our custom filament lines by a team of over 135 people, Prusament offers unmatched precision (some spools go as low as +-0.007 mm) and flawless winding. However, maintaining this level of quality has one drawback: we simply can’t keep up with the ever-growing demand. It’s frustrating to both us and our customers when some materials and colors are restocked only to be sold out within days—or even hours. We’ve decided to address this and we’ve been working on multiple solutions.

The first step was clear: expand our manufacturing capacity. Recently, our Prusa Polymers team moved to a brand-new, dedicated facility here in Prague, just 10 minutes from our HQ. It’s a huge upgrade! There’s a massive warehouse, multiple new extrusion lines, convenient truck loading ramps, and new advanced laboratories for developing new materials and colors. This expansion allows us to keep existing products consistently in stock but also accelerates the development of new colors and materials.

At the same time, we’ve been working on another solution. We’ve been partnering with external suppliers to complement and expand our lineup with new colors and materials. By working closely with these partners and by overseeing the entire manufacturing process, we can ensure the same high level of quality Prusa is known for. To put it simply: this is not a “value” line of products. These are third-party 3D printing accessories we don’t have the capacity to manufacture in-house and we fully stand behind their quality. These products are published under our new sub-brand called Buddy3D which will continue to expand with a whole range of new materials and other useful accessories.

So let’s take a closer look!

Buddy3D Filaments

A huge part of the Buddy3D brand is a rich selection of filaments. We are introducing 46 new filaments with many exciting colors and material types to ensure you’ll find the perfect fit for your next project. In addition to a range of new colors such as Sandstone, Rose, and Lilac, our portfolio will also expand to include new materials such as ABS ESD and PETG MATT.

Each filament spool features consistent colors and precise winding, maintaining 0.04 mm diameter accuracy. While Prusament will always set the benchmark, Buddy3D filaments are the best alternative you can buy, especially for colors and materials not covered by Prusament, which are also often hard to find elsewhere.

All Buddy3D filaments are made in the EU, offering great quality thanks to thorough testing and compliance with all necessary certifications. We guarantee the highest standards by overseeing the entire manufacturing process.

Prices start at 21.90 USD / 599 CZK (vč. DPH) / 23.90 EUR (VAT incl.) – visit our e-shop and check out all the new materials!

Buddy3D Camera

We’re also excited to introduce our brand-new Buddy3D camera, which allows you to remotely monitor your prints via Prusa Connect and the Prusa mobile app, thanks to seamless integration enabled by custom-made firmware. It features high-quality optics and IR illumination, enabling you to monitor your printer even in complete darkness—perfect for workplaces with 24/7 operation. Additionally, the camera is designed to operate in temperatures up to 65°C, making it safe to place directly in the Enclosure.

Setting up the camera is very straightforward: simply take it out of the box, open Prusa Connect, select the printer you want to pair it with, and use the generated QR code to connect it to your Wi-Fi. That’s it! Within seconds, you’ll see a snapshot from your camera in Prusa Connect and the Prusa mobile app. We’re also working on adding the highly requested livestream feature.

You can manually adjust the camera’s position within a range of 180° horizontally and 45° upwards. The camera includes integrated motors, and we plan to add the remote position adjustment functionality in future firmware updates. The firmware for the camera is updated via OTA, ensuring you always have the latest features available.

We spent a lot of time researching how to provide a secure camera at a competitive price point. In the end, the most practical solution was partnering with a manufacturer who allowed us to flash the camera with our own custom firmware. This gave us full control to implement rigorous security measures and ensure the camera meets our high standards. Despite having access to every single line of code that runs on the camera, we then subjected it to extensive network testing and monitoring to ensure all communication stays strictly between the camera and our secure Prusa Connect infrastructure—nowhere else.

If you’re thinking, “That looks like a standard Wi-Fi camera,” you’re not wrong. The Buddy3D camera is produced by a Czech company with manufacturing in China. While we’d prefer to manufacture the camera entirely within the EU, just as we do with Buddy3D filaments, we would not be able to deliver the same good hardware at an affordable price. An off-the-shelf camera paired with our custom firmware is the next best solution, allowing us to provide reliable, secure, high-quality hardware at an affordable price.

You can find the Buddy3D camera in our e-shop for 39.99 USD / 1099 CZK (vč. DPH) / 43.99 EUR (VAT incl.).

This is just the beginning, as we plan to add more Buddy3D products in the future, so stay tuned for more updates! Let us know what you think about this new approach, and share your thoughts and experiences with Buddy3D products.

Happy printing!