3D Printers.

[88keys]

Starting to think about getting one, but being relatively new, I really don't know much about them and I usually prefer to wait until new technology has become more refined before investing in it.

Don't know much about these and I know there are many different varieties that use many different kinds of materials.

Given the fact that I am being trained now on advanced CAD, GD&T, etc, I think this would be very useful in terms of designing 3D printed objects. That being said I;d like one that is both capable and versatile for many uses in the range of around $2000 or so. I might be willing to go higher if its worth it.

 

[twinrider1]

As long as you don't expect more than a toy, go for it.

 

[Greenman]

As long as you don't expect more than a toy, go for it.

That's what it's always seemed like to me. Very cool technology with very little real world use.

 

[88keys]

That's what it's always seemed like to me. Very cool technology with very little real world use.

That's what they said about PCs 30 years ago and the internet 20 years ago respectively.

The CEO of Blockbuster once had the chance to acquire Netflix for $50 million. I wonder how he feels about that decision now.

The thing is that for the average person, a 3D printer wouldn't be much more than a toy. This would at least be the case until when and if someone figures out a way to make it easy to design 3d printed objects in WYSIWYG kind of way. And even then I seriously doubt that WYSIWYG would deliver the kind of accuracy that you would need to create sophisticated designs that would function.

However, I think that 3D printers have enormous potential in the hands of a skilled individual.

 

[l0cke]

I don't actually own one yet because I've been moving too much, but I've got some experience. I recommend you check meetup.com to see if there is a local 3D printer group that can give you some advice and you can see some cool stuff in person. My local public library also has 3D printers and classes, but I don't think that's normal

I'd go with the Luzbot Mini
https://www.lulzbot.com/store/printers/lulzbot-mini
But I've only got second hand exposure, so don't take just my advice.

 

[yh125d]

My work has a Makerbot 2, and we are encouraged to play with it in our free time, and the company pays for the filament. I work all day in AutoCAD doing 3D modeling as well.

In almost 2 years of having it, really I've only made like 4 things. A little octopus thing for my cousin who loves them, an origami crane for a friend, a wall mounted toothbrush holder since my vanity is small, and a sphere ice cube mold

One of my coworkers did use it to make a bunch of parts that I think he used to assemble 3d figurines of some kind for his son

Overall, if you have plenty of disposable income, they can be fun. But personally I would spend the money on plenty of other gadgets before I got around to a 3D printer. Especially since as you said, the technology is advancing so rapidly that waiting a coupld of years could make a pretty big difference in what you get for the money

 

[Rakehellion]

Get a stereolithograph machine, not one of those cheap ABS printers.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I view it as a potential money-saver.

Things like this: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1006834

Look around at how much stuff you have that's made out of plastic. If you can 3D model it, you can get a new one for the price of filament.

I've also used it to make little brackets, jigs, and adapters for some woodworking projects, case mods, etc. Replaced the corner brackets I lost from my strap clamp, made some limit switch holders for a CNC machine.

If you're not somebody who makes stuff regularly, I don't think a 3D printer will change that though.

 

[Imp]

What do you plan on using it for?

Or will it be that in one year, you'll still be on your first "print cartridge" with it sitting in a corner collecting dust -- I've done stuff like this plenty of times.

One interesting application I've seen so far is a doll/sculpture company. It 3D scanned faces or drew them in CAD, 3D printed one out, made a negative, then finished it off before sending it to China to mass manufacture. That seems to be the main use: 3D print initial positive impression, produce negative, send to China to mass manufacture.

 

[Greenman]

That's what they said about PCs 30 years ago and the internet 20 years ago respectively.

The CEO of Blockbuster once had the chance to acquire Netflix for $50 million. I wonder how he feels about that decision now.

The thing is that for the average person, a 3D printer wouldn't be much more than a toy. This would at least be the case until when and if someone figures out a way to make it easy to design 3d printed objects in WYSIWYG kind of way. And even then I seriously doubt that WYSIWYG would deliver the kind of accuracy that you would need to create sophisticated designs that would function.

However, I think that 3D printers have enormous potential in the hands of a skilled individual.

Like I said, a cool toy. Great for custom dildos and lego replacement parts, but of very little utility to most of us.
The day they can lay down metal with the accuracy of a CNC machine is the day they become huge.

 

[sdifox]

Your local library doesn't have one? Look for rent by the job places. Do a few then decide if you want to own one.

 

[88keys]

What do you plan on using it for?

Or will it be that in one year, you'll still be on your first "print cartridge" with it sitting in a corner collecting dust -- I've done stuff like this plenty of times.

One interesting application I've seen so far is a doll/sculpture company. It 3D scanned faces or drew them in CAD, 3D printed one out, made a negative, then finished it off before sending it to China to mass manufacture. That seems to be the main use: 3D print initial positive impression, produce negative, send to China to mass manufacture.

Lot of different things. I'm a hobbyist in general, but I'd also see it as a learning tool.

Like I said, a cool toy. Great for custom dildos and lego replacement parts, but of very little utility to most of us.
The day they can lay down metal with the accuracy of a CNC machine is the day they become huge.

There are very few things that are mass produced that actually need that level of accuracy and not everything we need is made of metal. You are very close minded. That being said, I hope I die before I get old.

 

[sdifox]

That's what they said about PCs 30 years ago and the internet 20 years ago respectively.

The CEO of Blockbuster once had the chance to acquire Netflix for $50 million. I wonder how he feels about that decision now.

The thing is that for the average person, a 3D printer wouldn't be much more than a toy. This would at least be the case until when and if someone figures out a way to make it easy to design 3d printed objects in WYSIWYG kind of way. And even then I seriously doubt that WYSIWYG would deliver the kind of accuracy that you would need to create sophisticated designs that would function.

However, I think that 3D printers have enormous potential in the hands of a skilled individual.

No one said a PC was a toy.

 

[sdifox]

Lot of different things. I'm a hobbyist in general, but I'd also see it as a learning tool.


There are very few things that are mass produced that actually need that level of accuracy and not everything we need is made of metal. You are very close minded. That being said, I hope I die before I get old.

Yeah no. You should go read the giant 3d printer thread on atot.

 

[waggy]

I think in time these will be in darn near every home.

now though they are little more then toys. I can see it being usefull for things like woodworking, fishing etc though.

 

[Triumph]

I view it as a potential money-saver.

Things like this: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1006834

Look around at how much stuff you have that's made out of plastic. If you can 3D model it, you can get a new one for the price of filament.

I've also used it to make little brackets, jigs, and adapters for some woodworking projects, case mods, etc. Replaced the corner brackets I lost from my strap clamp, made some limit switch holders for a CNC machine.

If you're not somebody who makes stuff regularly, I don't think a 3D printer will change that though.

This is the thought process about 3d printers that I hate. There are about a thousand different types of plastic. There are engineers who design things out of certain plastics in certain ways because they've been educated in material science and design. Just 3d printing something that looks like something else does not make it equivalent. Is that blender lid made from a material that's rated as safe for food contact by the FDA? How's it going to hold up in your dishwasher? Is it going to crumble into your food because you washed it with the wrong detergent? Or is it going to start flaking over time, leaving garbage in your food?

People seem to think that if two widgets have the same dimensions, they are compatible. Um, no. If you're generally ecstatic with poor quality made in China knock off anything, then you'd probably be totally happy with 3d printed junk!

 

[sdifox]

This is the thought process about 3d printers that I hate. There are about a thousand different types of plastic. There are engineers who design things out of certain plastics in certain ways because they've been educated in material science and design. Just 3d printing something that looks like something else does not make it equivalent. Is that blender lid made from a material that's rated as safe for food contact by the FDA? How's it going to hold up in your dishwasher? Is it going to crumble into your food because you washed it with the wrong detergent? Or is it going to start flaking over time, leaving garbage in your food?

People seem to think that if two widgets have the same dimensions, they are compatible. Um, no. If you're generally ecstatic with poor quality made in China knock off anything, then you'd probably be totally happy with 3d printed junk!

Chances are Chinese knockoff parts will hold up better than 3d printed "part"

 

[sdifox]

Op, you should think of 3D printer as a more precise glue gun.

 

[88keys]

No one said a PC was a toy.

proverbially speaking, yes.

Yeah no. You should go read the giant 3d printer thread on atot.

I can tell you that most manufacturing equipment that is used to make the things that we use everyday is not producing anything to anywhere near the accuracy of a CNC. To to think that something has little to no potential because of the current state of the technology is extremely narrow minded. I never said that I expected to be able to print a Rolex watch.

 

[Kaido]

I recommend just using Shapeways - you send them the CAD file, they print it & ship it to you for a fee:

http://www.shapeways.com/materials

They maintain the printers & get new ones all the time, as well as have a huge variety of materials including metal, plastic, porcelain, sandstone, and wax.

 

[Kaido]

I can tell you that most manufacturing equipment that is used to make the things that we use everyday is not producing anything to anywhere near the accuracy of a CNC. To to think that something has little to no potential because of the current state of the technology is extremely narrow minded. I never said that I expected to be able to print a Rolex watch.

I think they'll get there eventually. You can already 3D-print gold:

http://www.shapeways.com/materials/gold

They've already started work on printing moving parts as well. If you have a few minutes, this is a really nice video on how they 3D-print a (large) adjustable wrench:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-aWFYT_SU

The resolution just keeps shrinking down too...they're already doing 3D printing for dental offices for stuff like crowns:

http://www.tctmagazine.com/3D-print...s-perfactory-vida-high-res-dental-3d-printer/

Not to mention different colors, materials, etc. KIRFing will get pretty insane when it the resolution gets fine enough to completely replicate stuff

 

[sdifox]

proverbially speaking, yes.


I can tell you that most manufacturing equipment that is used to make the things that we use everyday is not producing anything to anywhere near the accuracy of a CNC. To to think that something has little to no potential because of the current state of the technology is extremely narrow minded. I never said that I expected to be able to print a Rolex watch.

... you have no clue about manufacturing.

 

[88keys]

... you have no clue about manufacturing.

LMAO!
Why don't you start telling me how much experience you have

 

[sdifox]

LMAO!
Why don't you start telling me how much experience you have

Most consumer plastic items are made with injection moulding.

Go buy one of these if you want to rival injection moulding precision. Great if you need one piece and you have access to it. Not so much if you need 1M of them.

http://www.methodsmachine.com/machines/region/21/products/22/93


p.s. I have done (subcontract) work with Weidmueller and Kodak on the manufacturing side of things involving microcontrollers.

 

[88keys]

Most consumer plastic items are made with injection moulding.

Go buy one of these if you want to rival injection moulding precision. Great if you need one piece and you have access to it. Not so much if you need 1M of them.

http://www.methodsmachine.com/machines/region/21/products/22/93


p.s. I have done (subcontract) work with Weidmueller and Kodak on the manufacturing side of things involving microcontrollers.

I've work as a quality tech for 7 years and I'll confess that I have almost no experience in manufacturing plastics and alike substances as most of my experience comes from steel, and aluminum. Aside from products that have a mechanical or electrical function (which would most likely be made on a CNC), the lowest tolerances you'll see for most parts is around +/- 0.1mm (or .004 off the top of my head) and even then that is rare as .5 mm is much more typical. There do exist things don't go through a CNC with lower tolerances, but I assure you that tolerances aren't being held reliably and alot of waste is involved in the process.

As for my intrest in a 3D printer. I'd say that at this point it would probably be for quicker prototyping and learning. So I'd probably go for something basic that would come with a few advanced features to use as I get better. I'd probably look into a better one once I figure out what I'm doing.