Maker bot 3D printer now shipping

I thought a few people here on ATS might be interested in this article. It seems that 3D printers are in the news again with its latest induction showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show goes on sale. This tech is great! Just imagine being able to print articles needed at home. "Get the 3D printer, I need a new heel for my shoe.." "the doorknob just broke so I need to print a new one.." or even " amputee gets new life with 3D printed limbs.."

Before long, no garage or workbench will be complete without a 3-D printer, be it to replace broken parts, make party favors, or just tinker with. The MakerBot Replicator Mini, announced at CES in January, puts full-featured 3-D printing capability in a small package — if you have $1,375 to spend.

A market will probably open up to establish the rules and regulations behind 3D printing so that copyright infringement doesn't happen. My only drawback is that the criminal world will have a field day with this tech: illegal currency, illegal drugs, illegal appendages and what-not for sports, and on and on.

Still, I think the benefits outweigh the shortfalls. What says ATS?

www.nbcnews.com...

Maybe we can print elected officials that really work.
Why don't they come with a probation period like most jobs do?

Interesting .. all things considered reasonably priced .. after seeing the post here on ats few days ago about the prosthetic hand being made been considering getting a 3d printer as theres alot of the indiginous people here maimed every year by 40+ year old unexploded ordnance laying around would be able to make prosthetics for them as very few can afford prosthetics .. will have to make some inquiries later today its 0445 here at moment ..
Thankq for posting s&f

originally posted by: samkent
Maybe we can print elected officials that really work.
Why don't they come with a probation period like most jobs do?

We need to print elected officials that actually don't work, just sit there and look like they are paying attention. They can't be bribed that way and can't be convinced to spend money on all the wrong things. Just think how much the taxpayer will save that way. The states can take care of their own. The military can actually run their programs better without all the unwanted technology that they are forced to accept from corporations that bought off congressmen and acquired expensive contracts replacing good equipment with overpriced junk..

a reply to: lostbook

Dude, I want an illegal appendage. A few, actually. I could be like those Hindu gods with 6 arms...

Seriously though, its big stuff. I just read an article where a major defence contractor said 3D printing and nano tech were the future of the space program. Right now there's just a gap, people haven't put the pieces together yet for mass consumer adaptation. Those pieces are:
1) Affordable hand held scanners for scanning items into 3D meshes.
2) Highly available software for modifying these meshes on one's home computer, the average Joe can use.
3) Being able to upload those meshes directly to a printer to get the item.
All the pieces are out there, just not at the right consumer level, its still professional stuff. I think there's a lot of money to be made for the first company that puts all those pieces together in an affordable consumer grade package.

originally posted by: lostbook
My only drawback is that the criminal world will have a field day with this tech: illegal currency, illegal drugs, illegal appendages and what-not for sports, and on and on.

Your list of 'problems' is puzzling.

"Illegal Currency"? How, exactly? Bills are 2 dimensional. All you need is the right paper and a conventional color copy machine. Coins are made of a metal. The cost of producing an illegal coin would meet or exceed the cost of the coin itself. Pennys, for example, cost a lot more than a penny to produce. What would you use to mint a 2 Euro coin that would cost significantly less than 2 Euros to make it cost effective?

"Illegal Drugs"? Huh? The material you use to make 3-D objects is a plastic or resin. To "make" illegal drugs you'd have to use illegal drugs as a material. Resin is not going to get you many repeat buyers. Using illegal drugs as material to make illegal drugs makes no sense.

"Illegal appendages"? How would that be different from a legal appendage?

Now guns and you may have something if you can make one that won't blow up when it is fired.

We had a couple of above said brand but after about 30 hours they had to be returned for repairs.Certain parts were worn out and not consumer replaceable. We have a pair of Luzbots ordered. We need something that can put some work out you know an 8 hour day like the rest of us.

It's going to take time to sort the good from the bad out

a reply to: schuyler

I found the posters concerns amusing, but technically paper currency is 3d. Two dimensional objects do not actually exist in the real world, only as abstract concepts.

originally posted by: samkent
Maybe we can print elected officials that really work.
Why don't they come with a probation period like most jobs do?

funny....

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: lostbook
My only drawback is that the criminal world will have a field day with this tech: illegal currency, illegal drugs, illegal appendages and what-not for sports, and on and on.

Your list of 'problems' is puzzling.

"Illegal Currency"? How, exactly? Bills are 2 dimensional. All you need is the right paper and a conventional color copy machine. Coins are made of a metal. The cost of producing an illegal coin would meet or exceed the cost of the coin itself. Pennys, for example, cost a lot more than a penny to produce. What would you use to mint a 2 Euro coin that would cost significantly less than 2 Euros to make it cost effective?

"Illegal Drugs"? Huh? The material you use to make 3-D objects is a plastic or resin. To "make" illegal drugs you'd have to use illegal drugs as a material. Resin is not going to get you many repeat buyers. Using illegal drugs as material to make illegal drugs makes no sense.

"Illegal appendages"? How would that be different from a legal appendage?

Now guns and you may have something if you can make one that won't blow up when it is fired.

I made certain assumptions on how this tech could work based on what I know.

For money, I was thinking about paper money, not coins.
For Illegal drugs, I assumed that organic substances could be produced because you can make food with 3D printers.
Nasa is looking into this tech for Astronauts on long distance trips.
For illegal appendages, I assumed its use would be in sports where advantages lead to victory.

Maybe some of my assumptions were pre-mature, maybe not.

originally posted by: mikell
We had a couple of above said brand but after about 30 hours they had to be returned for repairs.Certain parts were worn out and not consumer replaceable.

You need a 3d printer that can print it's own parts. The day that happens will be the day the sky is the limit. LOL

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Love the price tag though. it shows this tech is starting to grow up but I doubt it will be ready for prime time in my lifetime and I'm in my 40's.