Over the years, we've seen a number of companies bring high-quality 3D printing mainstream with the creation of affordable 3D printers. At the forefront of the industry is Makerbot and its Replicator 3D printers. The company may have just recently came out with its new and improved Replicator 2, but it looks like it may already have some serious competition.
Dubbed the Form 1, this 3D printer promises to create models sufficient enough for most professional engineers. According to its creators, there are currently no low-cost 3D printers that meet the quality standards of the professional designer. As researchers of the MIT Media Lab, the bunch has very high standards when it comes to quality.
To put into perspective the exact level of quality the Form 1 offers, the printer can print layers as thin as 25 microns (0.001 in) with features as small as 300 microns (0.012 in) in a build volume of 4.9 x 4.9 x 6.5 in. Makerbot's Replicator 2 on the other hand is only capable of layers as small as 100 micron, though the build volume is quite a bit larger at 11.2 x 6.0 x 6.1 in.
Started Wednesday, the Form 1 3D printer has already reached over $1,000,000 in funding, more than 10x its goal of $100,000. Achieving $800,000 in its first 24 hours, the Form 1 has been selling like hotcakes. While the initial price tiers came in at $2,299 and $2,499, engineers and crafty hobbyists will now have to contribute $2,699 or more for their own Form 1. For more information on the project or to contribute yourself, head on over to its Kickstarter page here.
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Wolygon Standard RepRap Prusas have been printing at this kind of quality for a while now.Reply
0.35mm (350 microns) nozzles are the standard and ones down to 0.15mm are available.
And people can go down to 0.01mm (10 micron) layers.
Check out this for RepRap print quality (admittedly one of the highest quality printed parts ever):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prusajr/6048211970/in/photostream/ -
elcentral lovely and epic at the same time,Reply
i can actually see myself getting this to create special design pc parts, like fan vents and much more. but how much does the actual plastic like subs-tense you build whit cost ?
cuss if the machine is pricey but the build material is low cost its not to much of a problem. -
thecolorblue elcentrallovely and epic at the same time,i can actually see myself getting this to create special design pc parts, like fan vents and much more. but how much does the actual plastic like subs-tense you build whit cost ?cuss if the machine is pricey but the build material is low cost its not to much of a problem.my experience with 3d printed parts is that they are extremely brittle and fragile.Reply
They are nowhere near as strong or durable as injection molded parts... i.e. they are pretty much for prototyping and little else. -
nebun how durable would a dildo be?....i am sure that all the hot single geeks women are wondering the same thing lolReply -
alidan all i want is a home use 3d printer, because you know the moment they do, people will model action figures and the like in 3d for home printing.Reply
it would probably also be all the kick i need to really learn a 3d program, what with being able get a physical coppy of what i make and all. -
Darkk When the resin gets better you will see this popping at shopping malls as a fun thing to watch your creation comes to life without buying the machine. Sounds like a money maker idea.Reply
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velocityg4 Can't wait until the resin is much stronger and harder, the print size is much larger, the printing is far more precise and these run about $150. It'll get there in a few years. Who'd have thought 12 years ago that you could get a 1920x1080 23" LCD for less than $150, a 40" 1080p Plasma TV for less than $350 or a color laser printer for less than $150. All of these were more expensive than that 3D printer and not as good as the current cheap counterparts.Reply -
alidan otacon72When the resin gets 100x better (stronger) maybe. A good start but a ways to go. The average home user has no use for one in the foreseeable future except for people who just want toys.Reply
people who routinely make/buy/paint mainatures.
could print your own custom game pieces,
could probably fabricate body parts for small cars just to make them look cooler
or could completely fabricate your own car body (rc)
you want an action figure, or something cool looking, well here you go
granted i would neve buy into this at ovr 2 grand, but if you got it down to about 2-500$ i could see buying it, but only if the material they use is cheap.
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alidan velocityg4Can't wait until the resin is much stronger and harder, the print size is much larger, the printing is far more precise and these run about $150. It'll get there in a few years. Who'd have thought 12 years ago that you could get a 1920x1080 23" LCD for less than $150, a 40" 1080p Plasma TV for less than $350 or a color laser printer for less than $150. All of these were more expensive than that 3D printer and not as good as the current cheap counterparts.Reply
but the lcd because the standard of what we get tvs by, same with plasma
color lazer printers are also a multi function device
a 3d printer, im afraid will always be a specialty item, unless they get so good that you can print most if nto all the things you use.