Affordable 3D printers move closer to a reality

by Ben Reilly Sun Dec 22, 2013 2:26 am

The trio behind the Deltaprintr launched their project with a noble enough goal: creating a 3D printer that was cheap enough so as to actually be affordable for college students like themselves. The result comes in $685, preassembled. Not too shabby, so far as these things go. ...

So, aside from price, what makes this thing different? For starters, there's an easy calibration process for the print heads -- which, as anyone who's spent any time with a consumer device can tell you, isn't always the case. In fact, you can set the machine to auto-calibrate. The printer's also quicker than many of the units we've seen and is capable of some high-resolution prints, with the default set at 100 microns (you can get even higher res, but that'll take longer, naturally).

http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/20/deltaprintr/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi&a_dgi=gravity

I admit, I haven't been too excited about these things, until I followed the advice of a commenter in the linked story and checked out Thingiverse. Here are a few things people are making with their own 3D printers:

A bottle with cap:

Affordable 3D printers move closer to a reality Bottle_2_preview_featured

Affordable 3D printers move closer to a reality Bottle_2_preview_featured

A clip or clamp:

Affordable 3D printers move closer to a reality 20130413_095819_preview_featured

A cell phone case:

Affordable 3D printers move closer to a reality IMGP1386_preview_featured

These are just simple things you can pick up at any store, but imagine being able to print them yourself! A 3D printer, an Etsy storefront and your own creativity, and you could be running your own online boutique with a little promotion.

by Guest Sun Dec 22, 2013 11:39 am

I'm gonna get myself one and print you all a 3d printer.

by Beekeeper Sun Dec 22, 2013 1:00 pm

I HAD thought that an "affordable" 3D printer was already a "kind of" reality since a commercial version in the US had already come in under the $1200 USD "price point" early last year...

Lake Macquarie council library brought one earlier this year.. What a Face

Following up on the teenager who produced a plastic handgun on a 3D printer last year, a US ATF/FBI task force produced and test-fired a copy under "controlled conditions" earlier this year ~ proving that it could be done effectively.

Even if the result is also dangerously unstable and unreliable, and might be just as likely to blow up in your face as to be successfully used in any criminal activities or assassination attempt.. Surprised

by veya_victaous Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:01 pm

yes it is not the actual printers but the polymers used to print stuff that need improvement now.

by Lurker Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:38 pm

Someday the Star Trek replicators will be a reality.

by Ben Reilly Mon Dec 23, 2013 6:05 am

The article mentioned that the print-heads are more user friendly and "can even self-calibrate." We all know that gadgets really make the move from garage project to consumer good when you don't have to know how they work in order to use them Wink

by veya_victaous Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:02 am

@ben
that's true but..
People also WANT them when they see the guy in his garage doing cool stuff. at the moment there is a limit to the amount of cool stuff you can do Neutral

And what is worse, because the first thing someone said was can it make a gun (why did they give it to a red neck :\\:[: ) they are unlikely to release the polymers that could make cool stuff to the public. Sad

mind you we could see amazing things in pliable materials, but they wont give us anything too hard ::resmahauth:: ::resmahauth:: ::resmahauth:: ::resmahauth::

by Beekeeper Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:39 am

:D

UNTIL that inevitable day that some home inventor posts his/her recipes for recycling plastics and lo temp alloys in one's backyard to use as feed for your 3D Printers, onto the "Instructables" website...

THEN all bets will be off.. Idea

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