3D printing coming soon(er)?

[piginapoke]

Interesting news piece suggesting the pace is accelerating for 3D printing

BBC News - CES 2012: 3D printer makers' rival visions of future

I don't like the thought of mountains of plastic building up from failed designs, even if recyclable.

Long live paper models!

[Zathros]

These have been out for quite some time. They were used for rapid prototyping for decades in industry, If you research YouTube videos, you will see tons of videos on how to make one of these. When they get down to the $300 dollar mark, then they will get some wide spread acceptance. They are expensive now, and some of the homemade units perform better.

They are absolutely cool though and most of them use materials which can be recycled.

[piginapoke]

yes. we've got a rapid prototype machine at work producing concept designs as part of the design evaluation process. All very fancy and nice to be able to feel for real a CAD model design.

The article was interesting for suggesting we may be reaching a tipping point/virtual circle where the price reduction of the equipment will see the public take it on board more which will in turn encourage more sales and further reduce equipment prices and so on.

It won't be a particularly robust or complex toy coming out of these so I'm not sure there's a massive market but it's an interesting solution waiting for a market.

[Zathros]

I've seen some really interesting gear work done with these and I can't imagine how much prototyping these gears any other way would have cost. There are many duifferent approaches too. The van of liquid that hardens with the U.V. beam and as the table lowers the part is formed opposed to the "glue gun" like approach. Very different approaches. There's a company in not too far from here that makes these machines. This one is $2700 dollars and uses ABS plastic wire! :

3D Printer




These are many ways that this is done. This is a technology that if you have the proper tools, and know how, you can make a machine for less money than you can buy one for.

[rbeach84]

What exactly (if anything) is being envisioned for these to useful in the home? I cannot think of anything (other than models, aka display pieces) that could be 3D printed and be robust enough for routine use. Many products incorporate plastic components, but few are made entirely of plastic. Perhaps more so to allow for 3d capture of forms that are then printed as masters for other tooling (such as custom, form fit shoes...)

Speaking of which, how far away is the day you walk into a store, disrobe, get scanned and then robots quickly make you a wardrobe using styles you select from a catalog?

[pong17003]

I dont really like 3d printers
Paper models rock

[Zathros]

Originally Posted by rbeach84

What exactly (if anything) is being envisioned for these to useful in the home? I cannot think of anything (other than models, aka display pieces) that could be 3D printed and be robust enough for routine use. Many products incorporate plastic components, but few are made entirely of plastic. Perhaps more so to allow for 3d capture of forms that are then printed as masters for other tooling (such as custom, form fit shoes...)

Speaking of which, how far away is the day you walk into a store, disrobe, get scanned and then robots quickly make you a wardrobe using styles you select from a catalog?

Some of these make ready to use gears, which could be used for toys. Prototyping and proof of concept would mean that instead of pitching an idea for an object, you show a working model. I think they will be very useful, and have already seen rapid prototyping done. A Company in Connecticut manufactures and sells a well established machine for around $7000 and you will not find one used, such is their demand. These do not make brittle facsimile's of parts. They can make, depending on the material used, a finished product. As to what that product is, is only limited by the imagination. This is done in metal and replacement finer bones is one area of investigation. By using metal powder, the powder is heated and melted into one piece. These will be everywhere and change the nature of production.

[OhioMike]

I have a friend into R/C ships like myself who paid over 200.00 for a somewhat complex gun peice for one of his ships done with a rapid prototyper. It was a beauty with great detail. Problem is he needed something like 12 of them???? I dont know if he ever got off the 2400 bucks for them but i ended up just buying 1 cast metal version for around 12.00 bucks and an alumilite resin casting kit for like 75.00 bucks and had my 4 that i needed for only about 10.00 bucks total with plenty of resin and silicone for a lot of other projects left over!! What would be really cool is if they can come up with a marketable prototyper that uses pulp paper and glue to prototype a part!

[Zathros]

I have seen homemade jobs on YouTube that use what looks like melted plastic (ABS). I don't know enough about them but they are there and there is a lot of discussion of where m when why and how much.

[Zakopious]

There is a company called,"Shapeways" which will print your 3D design for you.
No need to buy the hardware.
See: Shapeways - Customize and create 3D printed products. Welcome to the Future of Stuff.

You can also purchase models designed by others.
See: Shapeways | Gallery[search][categories]=38&mg[search][clear]