3D Printers Now as Cheap As Laser Printers Were in 1985

Geek + Treehugger = VERY EXCITED FOR 3D PRINTERS!!!!!!

Pretty amazing how prices have slipped.

Jiff
www.online-anonymity.kr.tc

Just one problem... Desktop Factory has been "launching" this product for well over a year without so much as a peep. Currently, you're looking at $20 000 for a 3D printer of any quality with predictions that the $10 000 are coming soon. We're still at least a couple of years away from sub-$5K.

Ummm, sure they are "cheaper", but will they end being a ripoff with the plastic cartridges required to "print"? Inkjets and laser printers suck your blood on cartridges and they are now really cheap. Buuuut, I'd love to have one :)

Product designers and Universities would love such a tool to create a custom model before they produce it. Nice.

I 'guess' I know when 'now' is, but I sure don't know when 'were' was.... how about a clue, like, 'were in the 70's'??

Without that, it's just a stupid-pique-my-curiosity-no-I'm-too-busy-for-that headline.

I'm here and I still don't know when 'were' was.

Oh, looking closer, I see '1985' was there no room for that in the headline? Gosh, talk about glossing over the salient facts. Have you been taking lessons from Americans?

LA: Good point. I am changing the title.

http://www.reprap.org is an free and open source 3D printer. It's cost far less than the one listed above and can create itself.

um, how is this green if you don't know what the composite plastic is made from, or whether it's reusable? I mean it's cool, but shouldn't it be on like gizmodo or engadget where they don't talk about environmental impact of stuff?

Web site says info about printer "paper" will be available at launch. Plus, how long does the material last? And do people who are environmentally sensitive want a bunch of plastic in their life?

Funny to see this on TreeHugger... actually now that I think about it, it is funny to see a site like this all together. If you really were a tree hugger, you wouldn't have a computer or use electricity. A little tongue in cheek, but couldn't resist.

Hi,

Just a quick comment on the "downloadable design" idea...we're seeing quite a bit of stuff on Google's 3D Warehouse that was built using SketchUp.

From here you can download it, prep the file, and print it out on a 3D printer. Cost is falling for sure on the technology and the files are getting easier and easier to prep for the machine.

You can even download a city out of Google Earth and built it out to scale using what's available for free online.

Cheers,
-JC
Founder Sweet Onion Creations

given the quality of the parts this is producing, it looks about as valuable to product designers toda as a slide ruler is.

For those a dollars, you can develop about 5 complete products using service bureaus for prototyping in realstic materials... This machine looks to be creating starch models which 2/5mm resolution, which is about 20 year old protoyping techonogy.

how is this green in any way whatsoever? Don't you have anyone on this site with even the slightest bit of manufacturing and product development knowledge to debunk this BS before you post it?

The biggest problems are in the material sciences and getting a good 'ink' that is also green is a extremely difficult problem almost on par with fusion for energy.

Personal fabrication is nice for some people and its use greatly depends upon the types of useful things it can make. Mass adoption is not useful or practical until you can actually make something worthwhile which will not happen anytime soon. Mass production will always be faster, cheaper, and also greener - transportation being an issue either way (that 'ink' doesn't deliver itself.)

I could use it if it made anything useful because I repair and build things but most people do not have the desire; they are more inclined to recycle or dispose. Products do not have parts catalogs anymore so one has to make the parts-- and a CNC machine is far more useful.

On another front, you should talk with an engineer or better yet a machinest and see how they laugh at these toys (sure they like the star trek and its useful for prototyping and molds but it doesn't come close to replacing metal lathes, CNC etc..)

Plus you have a business model that promotes customized parts and non-serviceable products. Fix that and 3D printers will remain a niche device

Who would use such a unit? Is it used by Hollywood to create props that do not exist, as if they have to make a show like Star Trek?

it is ironic that they previous article talked about e-waste in china....so lets add to it by everyone buying a 3D printer for their home and then creating more useless nic nacs

but the best thing i think would be using the 3d printer to print yourself a 3d printer replacment part if the makers of the machine include a disc with all the printable parts you could repair it your self not only that but you could print all thee parts and build a new one (well all the pastic parts anyway)

but that should bring the cost down cost all you would need to buy is the replacent electronics