3-D printers, getting cheaper by the day
Seriously.
Crazy cheap.
I mean, this is something that used to be hundreds of thousands just a few years ago, and we're now looking at hundreds? Really?
Check out the low-price contenders below...
Solidoodle at $499.
As geek.com puts it
Mind you, this one is a Kickstarter project, but its already made its goal (and quadrupled it in fact). They do come in a bajillion models, but the smallest ("Mini") makes 5"x5"x6" items.
Accordin to the owner of the company
Cubify's The Cube at $1299
As The Verge puts it
The Cube, which will begin shipping on May 25th, prints single-color plastic gewgaws up to 5.5 inches (14cm) in diameter. Its $1,299 price includes the printer and a single neon green material cartridge; additional colors cost $50 apiece with a slight bulk discount — a little on the high side, but not extortionate. Somewhat unusually for a 3D printer, Cube designs are loaded via Wi-Fi.
MakerBot Replicator at $1749
As engadget puts it
Of course, the tricky part here is that you're going to be paying for color, supplies, etc., etc., but it is pretty damn impressive how cheap its getting...
Crazy cheap.
I mean, this is something that used to be hundreds of thousands just a few years ago, and we're now looking at hundreds? Really?
Check out the low-price contenders below...
Solidoodle at $499.
As geek.com puts it
[...] using an Arduino and open-source software for the 3D modeling the Solidoodle team was able to construct a printing device that makes 6x6x6-inch models out of melted plastic filament. While that’s not an very large work space, it’s certainly enough to let you express your imagination. The printing is done by one extrusion head working from the map provided by the software, creating each model layer-by-layer, as it typical with today’s 3D printers. For building materials the company currently recommends using ABS filament, but is working on adapting the device to make use of polylactic acid based or PLA filament.Bukobot at $699
Accordin to the owner of the company
“Compared to a MakerBot [and other similar companies], my design is a lot more efficient and simplified while still keeping the rigidity of a box. [...] I wanted to think outside the box (literally) for the design because this would allow a lot more flexibility for expansion and modifications to the feature without having to redesign or build a whole new frame.”
Cubify's The Cube at $1299
As The Verge puts it
MakerBot Replicator at $1749
As engadget puts it
MakerBot is one of the driving forces in bringing 3D printing to a mainstream audience, and the Replicator takes yet another big step in that direction. For starters, there's the fact that, unlike past products from the company, the units ship assembled, taking the difficult and time consuming construction process out of the equation -- at less than $2,000, it's also a good deal cheaper than a fair amount of the competition. Pettis also insists that the printing process itself is rather simple. There's an SD slot on the front -- pop in a card and choose a project from the simple LCD.
Of course, the tricky part here is that you're going to be paying for color, supplies, etc., etc., but it is pretty damn impressive how cheap its getting...
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