[Rune]

CNN

At-home 3-D printing could save consumers thousands of dollars per year

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')ersonal 3-D printers may sound like a pricey luxury or a niche product for geeks, but soon they could become a household appliance that saves people thousands of dollars a year.
Researchers at Michigan Technological University conducted a study to find out how much a family might save by printing common objects, such as simple replacement parts or toys, at home instead of buying them in stores or online.
"It was relatively shocking what the return on investment was," said associate professor Joshua Pearce, who led the study. "Realistically, it's in the thousands."

Much of the recent 3-D printer hype has focused on how the technology is going to revolutionize the manufacturing industry or what cool things it can create - human organs, duck feet, see-through hermit crab shells shaped like cities. But it's the small, mundane objects that could have the most immediate impact on wallets. (Especially if you print your own wallet.)

Printing 3-D objects does require a big upfront investment. Current desktop 3-D printers cost between $350 to $2,000. For the study, researchers used a $575 RepRap printer and selected 20 free 3-D designs that were available online.

Their calculations didn't take into account shipping costs or sales tax associated with buying from a retailer. The researchers say they did that to keep the estimates for the study on the conservative end.

"We assumed the average family would only make 20 items a year, which is silly because if you get one of these you'll make 20 items in one weekend," said Pearce.

[Beery1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rune', 'I')t would change much of what we assume about consumerism going forward.

[AgentR11]

Thousands over the life of the printer vs thousands per year are different things. I don't know that I buy $2000/yr of objects that could be printed. My first b/w laser printer cost me about $500; and even a current set of 3000pg color toners cost $250; so the 3d printers are getting in the range where I might buy one; but there's no way it would cover its cost in a single year.

Someone does need to come up with a way to do a single issue project file; so say, I create a doohickey-making-file, you pay me $5 and it allows you to print 1/5/10 of whatever the doohickey is. That could really create some small scale innovation and business; though it also has the potential of running rough-shod over the current patent system. How do you patent troll someone with a $400 computer in a one bedroom apartment riding around town on a bicycle? Lawyers would flee in terror at the prospect.

Definitely a cool tech though.

[MD]

I helped develop 3d printing in 1992, and have stayed close to it since.

Replicators are coming soon, to a store near you.

[Rune]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'I') helped develop 3d printing in 1992, and have stayed close to it since.

Replicators are coming soon, to a store near you.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rune', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'I') helped develop 3d printing in 1992, and have stayed close to it since.

Replicators are coming soon, to a store near you.

[Rune]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'P')ay attention!

[AdTheNad]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Rune', 'A')t-home 3-D printing could save consumers thousands of dollars

[Pops]

3D printing is the kind of tech I said elsewhere changes the things you do, not just how you do things. Why not print clothes, shoes, toilet paper... food?

If as MD says it is molecular level resolution with multiple materials your printed product could be soup or steak or TP or a bathing suit at the touch of a button.

Of course like everything there is a price, and I doubt that anyone will be retiring on what they "save" because the market will prevail. I have been doing print graphics on the computer for well over 20 years and since I bought my first digital camera and ink jet I have very few snapshots. Back in the day you took what came back from the lab and were happy, now I find consumables just too expensive to waste on a halfassed underexposed, blurry pic.

I take it back, it turns out I did save a bunch of money!

[pasttense]

I think this is ridiculous. Can anyone here list thousands of dollars worth of products that he has consumed or expects to that could possibly be made by 3D Printing?