It would appear Consumer 3D Printing is still in the 'Trough of Disillusionment' phase of the Hype Cycle.
https://i.imgur.com/tx3c3Pz.png
3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
21–30 of 52 posts
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#22A lot of the reliability problems with desktop 3D printers comes from the fact that they're forced by patents encumbering better methods to use Fused-Deposited Material (FDM) style printing. Extruding plastic thread and building up a model from that requires a lot of moving parts, some with extreme thermal changes being applied to them. I've seen a lot of DIY folk waste a lot of time on 3D printers. As it currently s…
Even metalworking isn't so hard to get into. You can get the tools anywhere, used or new, and there's an enormous number of books on the subject. The only power tool you really need at the start is an electric drill. Hacksaw, files, punches, chisels, etc.. all powered by you. No software needed either, cover your part with a fat sharpie (or better yet, blue dye) and use a scribe and punches to mark out what you want to cut and drill.
If anyone is interested in this sort of stuff, check out Adam Savage's "One Day Builds" videos on youtube, they are great examples of the sorts of things you can do with basic tools and ingenuity.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#23A lot of the reliability problems with desktop 3D printers comes from the fact that they're forced by patents encumbering better methods to use Fused-Deposited Material (FDM) style printing. Extruding plastic thread and building up a model from that requires a lot of moving parts, some with extreme thermal changes being applied to them. I've seen a lot of DIY folk waste a lot of time on 3D printers. As it currently s…
I'm surprised that hobbyists building their own printer aren't going for the patented laser methods that actually make high quality parts. Surely you can make your own copy of a patented item, just not sell it. Even if you're not allowed to, nobody's going to know.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#24A lot of the reliability problems with desktop 3D printers comes from the fact that they're forced by patents encumbering better methods to use Fused-Deposited Material (FDM) style printing. Extruding plastic thread and building up a model from that requires a lot of moving parts, some with extreme thermal changes being applied to them. I've seen a lot of DIY folk waste a lot of time on 3D printers. As it currently s…
Even metalworking isn't so hard to get into. You can get the tools anywhere, used or new, and there's an enormous number of books on the subject. The only power tool you really need at the start is an electric drill. Hacksaw, files, punches, chisels, etc.. all powered by you. No software needed either, cover your part with a fat sharpie (or better yet, blue dye) and use a scribe and punches to mark out what you want…
Oh yeah. I think his "One Day Build" videos go a long way towards demystifying build process. I've seen a lot of people never start on their projects because they think the methods are inaccessible to them, for no reason other than they just don't know what the methods are.
You can see it in their eyes. They walk in the hackerspace and they have this "we're not worthy!" look on their faces. "Stop it!" I'd tell them. The place is nothing without the people in it. The space is not sacred, it is not too good for you to insert yourself.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#25Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#26A lot of the reliability problems with desktop 3D printers comes from the fact that they're forced by patents encumbering better methods to use Fused-Deposited Material (FDM) style printing. Extruding plastic thread and building up a model from that requires a lot of moving parts, some with extreme thermal changes being applied to them. I've seen a lot of DIY folk waste a lot of time on 3D printers. As it currently s…
I'm surprised that hobbyists building their own printer aren't going for the patented laser methods that actually make high quality parts. Surely you can make your own copy of a patented item, just not sell it. Even if you're not allowed to, nobody's going to know.
Hobbyists mostly build from kits, so the kits would be restricted by the patents.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#27A lot of the reliability problems with desktop 3D printers comes from the fact that they're forced by patents encumbering better methods to use Fused-Deposited Material (FDM) style printing. Extruding plastic thread and building up a model from that requires a lot of moving parts, some with extreme thermal changes being applied to them. I've seen a lot of DIY folk waste a lot of time on 3D printers. As it currently s…
I'm surprised that hobbyists building their own printer aren't going for the patented laser methods that actually make high quality parts. Surely you can make your own copy of a patented item, just not sell it. Even if you're not allowed to, nobody's going to know.
It's complicated and much more dangerous. 3d printer you need to be careful (it's hot) and probably want to get a solution for exhaust (smells and particulate).
Laser sintering you have lasers melting metal particulate to form the piece. That goes wrong you end up with nasty consequences.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#28For a 3-D printer to be useful to a home consumer a bunch of non-obvious conditions have to be met-
1- You have a need for an object you can't pick up at Home Depot, dollar store, etc.
2- You need the skills to model it in a 3-D program and make it suitable for printing.
3- You need to not have the skills to make it some other way- whether in wood, metal, or clay.
I think the combination of 1 and 3 is probably the real killer- all the hobbyist model makers, cosplayers, etc who would have the most use for one already have the skills and tools to make stuff in other ways.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm surprised that hobbyists building their own printer aren't going for the patented laser methods that actually make high quality parts. Surely you can make your own copy of a patented item, just not sell it. Even if you're not allowed to, nobody's going to know.
It's complicated and much more dangerous. 3d printer you need to be careful (it's hot) and probably want to get a solution for exhaust (smells and particulate). Laser sintering you have lasers melting metal particulate to form the piece. That goes wrong you end up with nasty consequences.
I will say this: unless you have a lot of experience and really know what you're doing, start with laser-based systems (laser cutters, laser sinterers, etc) over a CNC router/mill. The failure mode is much more catastrophic with high-speed rotating parts. Worse thing that can happen with a laser is you start a small fire--startling for sure, but pretty easy to handle. Worst thing that can happen with a CNC mill: the milling head shatters and peppers you with high-velocity shrapnel.
Re: 3-D Printer Firms Fall Flat, as Buyers Wait for New Models
#30Why the need to print cheap plastic crap? That's why we have dollar stores and China.
I use a $400 printer to print production parts for an industrial machine. The parts are custom shapes (I designed the machine).
There's a reason Stratasys is in trouble. Same reason IBM was in trouble after PC clone makers started eating their profit margin for lunch.