Rapid prototyping for the home

[unixronin]

The NY Times carries an article about Desktop Factory, which will begin selling a rapid-prototyping appliance — a 3D printer, effectively — for just under $5,000 this year.  IdeaLab, Desktop Factory's parent, expects the price to drop to $1000 by about four years from now.  Next time a plastic part for something breaks, you may be able to fabricate a replacement part yourself — and maybe even improve on the original design.

Comments

[luke-jaywalker.livejournal.com]

This has the potential for extreme awesomeness. I'm not an engineer, but this makes me want to learn, at least enough to use one of these.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm thinking I may need to get a solid-modeling package ....

(I wish I could cheaply get my hands on a copy of Solidworks.)

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

These things were called MicroFabs a few years back, They ran about $25,000 then. An additional 80% price drop should be fun!

[unix-jedi.livejournal.com]

< cartman> KICKASS!

About 6 months ago I was asking my annoyingly talented friend the Xman about these, and where they were....

Especially since it's easy to use the plastic to mold for fiberglass or poured metal, if you set it up right....

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

*drool*

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

No kidding. The possibilities are boundless.

And when the times comes that there are home rapid-prototypers that can make high-precision metal parts......

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Never seen the ATF ban an entire class of technology before...