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but when consumers can create many or most of the objects they need I'm not seeing that soon. Many or most of the objects that I need are either: 1) Full of

but when consumers can create many or most of the objects they need I'm not seeing that soon. Many or most of the objects that I need are either: 1) Full of advanced electronics - phone, ebook reader, laptop, netbook etc. 2) Made of metal for strength - e.g. car or bike parts 3) Made from fabric - clothes and bedding 4) Edible So when do these machines go past being fabs that can churn out plastic trinkets? How many white plastic rabbits does one need anyway?

steveklabnik 16y ago
I'm posting this from my phone, so no links right now, but you can print in many more materials than just plastic, and they're working on circuitry... see the link I posted below, don't want to spam.
- hristov 16y ago
  Unfortunately, that is not really the case yet. Some 3D printers say you can print in metal but what they are really using is the same plastic with metal dust sprinkled in. So while it looks like metal it does not really have the properties you really want in metal, such as strength. Most of the different materials that 3D printers offer are pretty much the same plastic modified in some way.
  - steveklabnik 16y ago
    You're probably thinking of SLS, which is nylon based, but can have stuff sprinkled in. The metal printers that ProMetal makes bind steel powder together, and then infuse it with bronze. It's quite strong, and I've heard that the grain structure is actually better than casting. Don't even get me started on EBM. ;)
  - stonemetal 16y ago
    The reprap guys have demoed a solder extruder so that they could print a circuit board with it.
olegkikin 16y ago
1) There's no reason that it can't print circuit boards with some conducting/semi-conducting materials. 2) Again, it's a material choice 3) This is already solved. There's a designer who makes clothing with these 3D printers, google it.
- StrawberryFrog 16y ago
  But this printer doesn't do circuit boards or metals (let alone aloys) I've seen the pages bout the fabrics that you mentions. They might go down well in the right sort of nightclub, but it's not a "solved problem" - you wouldn't want a blanket, pillow or comfortable but tough jeans made out of that. Though women may want those chunky high-heeled shoes made to custom order, once it can do colours.
kiba 16y ago
When I get my hand on one of those 3D printer, I plan to make a self replicating lego train network en-masses, completed with construction legobots and the like. The lego clone bricks will be the foundation for an entire robotic enterprise to build a train network around my neighborhood, and then the next and so on. That mean, lego assembly lines for building trains and various kind of construction bots, and various scouting legobots that fly, crawl, and move on the ground. Then it's time for the human to source electronics and plastic supplies, as well find a business model for the train network I am going to build. It's an interesting project that seem to be multifacet, at least to me. Alas, I am still on hacking my RC cars to become robot stage. Tommorow is desoldering day and finally controlling the motor of my RC car.
- Groxx 16y ago
  Just wait - one of them will go back in time and try to kill Lego Sarah Conner. You'll see.
jamii 16y ago
3d printers are just one tool in the box. Traditional cnc machines are also dropping in price and the software is getting easier to use. The MIT Fab Lab demonstrated building a house in a few weeks with a set of tools that fits inside a shipping container. They aim to bring the cost of this container of tools down to $10k. At that price point we could see a whole new range of businesses performing advanced local manufacturing. http://www.fablabhouse.com/en/ http://www.fablabhouse.com/en/
spyder 16y ago
There are 3d printers which can print metal.

steveklabnik 16y ago

I'm posting this from my phone, so no links right now, but you can print in many more materials than just plastic, and they're working on circuitry... see the link I posted below, don't want to spam.

hristov 16y ago
Unfortunately, that is not really the case yet. Some 3D printers say you can print in metal but what they are really using is the same plastic with metal dust sprinkled in. So while it looks like metal it does not really have the properties you really want in metal, such as strength. Most of the different materials that 3D printers offer are pretty much the same plastic modified in some way.
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  You're probably thinking of SLS, which is nylon based, but can have stuff sprinkled in. The metal printers that ProMetal makes bind steel powder together, and then infuse it with bronze. It's quite strong, and I've heard that the grain structure is actually better than casting. Don't even get me started on EBM. ;)
- stonemetal 16y ago
  The reprap guys have demoed a solder extruder so that they could print a circuit board with it.

olegkikin 16y ago

1) There's no reason that it can't print circuit boards with some conducting/semi-conducting materials. 2) Again, it's a material choice 3) This is already solved. There's a designer who makes clothing with these 3D printers, google it.

StrawberryFrog 16y ago
But this printer doesn't do circuit boards or metals (let alone aloys) I've seen the pages bout the fabrics that you mentions. They might go down well in the right sort of nightclub, but it's not a "solved problem" - you wouldn't want a blanket, pillow or comfortable but tough jeans made out of that. Though women may want those chunky high-heeled shoes made to custom order, once it can do colours.

kiba 16y ago

When I get my hand on one of those 3D printer, I plan to make a self replicating lego train network en-masses, completed with construction legobots and the like. The lego clone bricks will be the foundation for an entire robotic enterprise to build a train network around my neighborhood, and then the next and so on. That mean, lego assembly lines for building trains and various kind of construction bots, and various scouting legobots that fly, crawl, and move on the ground. Then it's time for the human to source electronics and plastic supplies, as well find a business model for the train network I am going to build. It's an interesting project that seem to be multifacet, at least to me. Alas, I am still on hacking my RC cars to become robot stage. Tommorow is desoldering day and finally controlling the motor of my RC car.

Groxx 16y ago
Just wait - one of them will go back in time and try to kill Lego Sarah Conner. You'll see.

jamii 16y ago

3d printers are just one tool in the box. Traditional cnc machines are also dropping in price and the software is getting easier to use. The MIT Fab Lab demonstrated building a house in a few weeks with a set of tools that fits inside a shipping container. They aim to bring the cost of this container of tools down to $10k. At that price point we could see a whole new range of businesses performing advanced local manufacturing. http://www.fablabhouse.com/en/ http://www.fablabhouse.com/en/

spyder 16y ago

There are 3d printers which can print metal.