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The marketers working at the company should be taken out back and flogged. Show me the device and tell me how it works! From what I can tell, it's like taking
by bprater 18y ago
The marketers working at the company should be taken out back and flogged. Show me the device and tell me how it works!
From what I can tell, it's like taking a big stack of paper, gluing all the pages together and then carving it into the object of your desires. (The carving and stacking order may be reversed.) And apparently, it's cheap, since it's run-o-the-mill paper.
- replicatorblog 18y agoI think your right about the marketing. They say it has something to do with a patented, selective adhesive application technology, but would be curious to know how they remove the excess paper and smooth the finished surfaces. Looks like a great low cost item. If the machine is reasonable priced it seems like they could give Desktop Factory a run for their money in the low cost space.
- yters 18y agoWhy don't they just use solidified wood pulp, and remove the paper gluing step? Seems inefficient to me.
- replicatorblog 18y agoyters, is there a technology like that used in industry now? If so do you have a link?
- yters 18y agoNot sure. I googled "pulp molding" and saw a number of pages on things like egg carton molding machines. But, solidifying a whole block seems tougher.
- replicatorblog 18y agoYeah, typically the issue with molded paper pulp is keeping a uniform wall thickness otherwise the moisture is trapped and you have a crusty object with a slushy inside.
- yters 18y agoCould they build it in layers? Or is the best way to do that to just do gluing, so it's back to the original idea?
- abstractbill 18y agoRight, but you can't pop down to the local store and buy wood pulp (can you?). This does have the advantage of using something you can buy practically anywhere.
- yters 18y agoHmm, in that case, the machine should generate solidified wood pulp from any paper waste. Then your source of material is much larger and cheaper - i.e. cast off cardboard boxes from the local supermarket, irregular shapes and sizes don't need to be glued together.
- earthboundkid 18y agoYeah, but you've gotta buy glue anyway, so why not sell you pulp at the same time?
- h34t 18y agoA piece of paper is added to the stack and cut. Adhesive is applied. Another piece of paper is added to the stack and cut. Adhesive is applied. And so on.
- replicatorblog 18y agoYeah, seems like a plotter with a z-axis control and a 3 axis glue dispenser. Pretty smart application of the technology. You can get a desktop plotter for <$300 at craft stores in the suburbs. this just adds an adhesive step and dept. Great way to solve the problem without relying on breakthroughs in materials science.