OriginalRobboFOX Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 Will it catch on? Or is it just a novelty like Minidisc or the Soda Stream? Have seen a few programmes on it and although it has some really good uses and could be a good idea for third world communities to make tools etc. to help them support themselves?? it can also be used for more darker things eg. producing the components for a working firearm. As I understand it "patterns" can be downloaded from the web and fed into the printer to produce almost anything. Worryingly you don't necessarily need the "patterns" as you can scan almost anything in and it can subsequently be reproduced within a minuscule of detail. It all seems a little space age for me.
Rincewind Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 All I've seen so far is things made out of paper. Not really looked into it. Would be interesting to research though.
Charl91 Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 Had a job in the 3D printing industry for 6 months or so. They're useful for creating unique products/prototypes, but I can't see them ever being used for mass production. The machines (at the moment) tend to be very unreliable and require a lot of maintenance.
Smudge Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 It's not meant for mass production. I've seen it used in industry for producing prototypes and pattern making. Incredible technology, I saw a prototype speaker cone being formed in resin before my eyes. It just rose out of this bath of liquid into a fully formed solid item.
Captain... Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 I can't see it ever being used in the home, but I think it could revolutionise manufacturing, it could also threaten the Asian dominance on manufacturing. ...but it was also said things like computers were too big and expensive to be used in the home, and now look at them, it is no great leap to think they could one day be small enough to be portable.
whoareyaaa Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 It will be commercial in 10 years or so I think. Will be handy for certain household items and novelty things.
Captain... Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 It will be commercial in 10 years or so I think. Will be handy for certain household items and novelty things. It all depends on costs of raw material, but imagine you could produce any design you wanted and then use it to create cups, plates, bowls, utensils, an entire matching dinner set, placemats etc, then you have friends over so you just produce a couple more. Or you are missing that one piece of lego, then you can just make it. I think it will really come into it's own if it could reuse anything it has made. Make something, use it, feed it back into the machine it breaks it down back into the plastic and then reuse the plastic to make something else.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 Could you print a 3D printer with a 3D printer? I'm way ahead of the game!
Smudge Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 I can't see it ever being used in the home, but I think it could revolutionise manufacturing, it could also threaten the Asian dominance on manufacturing. ...but it was also said things like computers were too big and expensive to be used in the home, and now look at them, it is no great leap to think they could one day be small enough to be portable. They're pretty inexpensive now, circa $2500. I think anyone who has a creative talent would jump at the chance of using one.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 30 July 2013 Posted 30 July 2013 They're pretty inexpensive now, circa $2500. I think anyone who has a creative talent would jump at the chance of using one. On BBC this morning it said you could get one for £700. Which is large TV money.
Captain... Posted 2 August 2013 Posted 2 August 2013 Can't imagine it would be road worthy, I guess it really depends what plastic hi used.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 2 August 2013 Posted 2 August 2013 Can't imagine it would be road worthy, I guess it really depends what plastic hi used. However, I could imagine that, if you had a rare car with some small body part that is damaged, it could be brilliant.
johnstevenjacob Posted 4 April 2014 Posted 4 April 2014 It’s not really suitable for mass production that’s why it is mostly used for educational institution as a learning tool for students, and also for home manufacturing. Take a look at these items printed using different filament materials including the premium one like nylon and rubber filament: http://www.3d2print.net/shop/our-customers-cool-prints/cool-print-gallery/.
ozleicester Posted 4 April 2014 Posted 4 April 2014 Tis the future, the end of the high street and shopping malls. You will google the product, order online, pay by credit card and it will be delivered by 3d printer.
General Smuts Posted 21 April 2014 Posted 21 April 2014 Weird to find a thread specifically related to my job. I'm actually on a project at work at the minute specifically targeting 3D printing. I'm off to Munich in a few weeks for a conference and everything. Basically it's great for prototyping and quick tooling ideas and one off designs, The printers themselves are fairly cheap for a crappy desktop option and can go up into the high 5 figures for one with all the bells and whistles. Charl91 - what is it in particular that you do in the industry? Be interesting to find out what sort of jobs are going through the printers.
Mack Posted 21 April 2014 Posted 21 April 2014 I'm thinking along the lines of a design your own dildo then print it out business concept.
Finnaldo Posted 21 April 2014 Posted 21 April 2014 I'm thinking along the lines of a design your own dildo then print it out business concept. I'd imagine your well versed in that field, so I'll leave you to it
Steven Posted 22 April 2014 Posted 22 April 2014 Weird to find a thread specifically related to my job. I'm actually on a project at work at the minute specifically targeting 3D printing. I'm off to Munich in a few weeks for a conference and everything. Basically it's great for prototyping and quick tooling ideas and one off designs, The printers themselves are fairly cheap for a crappy desktop option and can go up into the high 5 figures for one with all the bells and whistles. Charl91 - what is it in particular that you do in the industry? Be interesting to find out what sort of jobs are going through the printers. Please let me know what you find out as I think this is a very interesting future technology.
General Smuts Posted 22 April 2014 Posted 22 April 2014 Please let me know what you find out as I think this is a very interesting future technology. Will do - as best as I can.
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