I thought this was interesting so I share....
http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/t ... ew-mediums
3d printing in metal and ceramic, from art to bathing suits to prosthetics. Printing from CAD files; machines for $1000. Makes me wonder if outsourcing is not the main threat to manufacturing jobs.
3-D printers
@Hoplite
Thanks for sharing the article. It's good food for thought.
Is 3-D printing a threat to manufacturing or does it open up the return to small, local production facilities because cost-effectiveness will no longer require huge economies of scale? I think one result of this technology will be one or two person fabrication shops that can produce unique designs for clients on a quick turn around. For example, my brother-in-law designs parts for racing motorcycles that he then takes to a machine shop for production. It is hugely expensive, but his clients are willing to spend thousands of dollars for incremental increases in speed or efficiency. This 3-D tech would allow him to prototype a part before committing to the actual lathe work of the finished precision part.
Thanks for sharing the article. It's good food for thought.
Is 3-D printing a threat to manufacturing or does it open up the return to small, local production facilities because cost-effectiveness will no longer require huge economies of scale? I think one result of this technology will be one or two person fabrication shops that can produce unique designs for clients on a quick turn around. For example, my brother-in-law designs parts for racing motorcycles that he then takes to a machine shop for production. It is hugely expensive, but his clients are willing to spend thousands of dollars for incremental increases in speed or efficiency. This 3-D tech would allow him to prototype a part before committing to the actual lathe work of the finished precision part.
Thanks for the comment! As a teenager I helped out in a friends machine shop for fun, mostly designing and fabricating custom bicycle accessories, so I have an idea of the process. Much of the fabrication has already been computerized; remote lathes carving metal from CAD drawings. The 3d printers are another approach to fabrication with huge potential. I still wonder whether this is just more productivity through automation, but with a net reduction in jobs, something the manufacturing sector has dealt with for years. It could go the way of agriculture in the last century.
Personally, I'm waiting for the food replicators from Star Trek to sink the restaurant industry
Personally, I'm waiting for the food replicators from Star Trek to sink the restaurant industry
I think one result of this technology will be one or two person fabrication shops that can produce unique designs for clients on a quick turn around.
Definitely. The potential impact of this is so vast that it could spell the end of the whole factory system, and perhaps a return to the cottage industries and self-manufacturing of pre-industrial times. Why produce and export vaste quantities of goods when customers can produce them themselves, at home, meeting their exact requirements ? Why employ legions of marketers to try and convince people to buy your bra clasps, instead of the identical ones made by the company next door ? It could undermine the whole relationship between capital and labour in consumer manufacturer.
Someone in the 3D industry recently said that 3D printing is like the PC in the 1970s. The potential for entrepreneurs is huge.
Definitely. The potential impact of this is so vast that it could spell the end of the whole factory system, and perhaps a return to the cottage industries and self-manufacturing of pre-industrial times. Why produce and export vaste quantities of goods when customers can produce them themselves, at home, meeting their exact requirements ? Why employ legions of marketers to try and convince people to buy your bra clasps, instead of the identical ones made by the company next door ? It could undermine the whole relationship between capital and labour in consumer manufacturer.
Someone in the 3D industry recently said that 3D printing is like the PC in the 1970s. The potential for entrepreneurs is huge.
I think 3D printing is very cool. I expect it will start to be useful on the consumer scale in about 10 years.
Hypothetically, I would expect a reduction in cheap plastic crap imported from China. After all, you could just produce that cheap plastic crap right in your own home.
I could also see this increasing demand for well-produced goods. If you can produce cheap crap yourself, the stuff you would go to the store to buy would be mostly higher-quality stuff and raw materials.
Hypothetically, I would expect a reduction in cheap plastic crap imported from China. After all, you could just produce that cheap plastic crap right in your own home.
I could also see this increasing demand for well-produced goods. If you can produce cheap crap yourself, the stuff you would go to the store to buy would be mostly higher-quality stuff and raw materials.
I just joined a community workshop where you pay $50/mo and you have 24/7 access to the facility with metal shop, wood shop, welding, electronics, ham radio, sewing, etc. It has a 3D printer and a CNC laser cutter. I am looking forward to using the tools. The 3D printer parts don't look too good though, kind of porous. It works kind of like a hot glue gun. I don't think it can make overhanging geometry.
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Obadobadope
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DividendGuy
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http://news.yahoo.com/you-don-t-bring-a ... --yet.html
Although this article is talking about the implications of mass-produced cheap firearms, these printers will eventually have implications that reach much further than just guns. This could change how we look at manufacturing and companies in general.
For instance, will you still be buying razors from P&G if you can make them at home? This article talks about the ABS plastic printers, but using basic materials you'll be able to make anything one day.
Thoughts?
Although this article is talking about the implications of mass-produced cheap firearms, these printers will eventually have implications that reach much further than just guns. This could change how we look at manufacturing and companies in general.
For instance, will you still be buying razors from P&G if you can make them at home? This article talks about the ABS plastic printers, but using basic materials you'll be able to make anything one day.
Thoughts?
3d printing : plastic goods :: Internet and open source : information
So, I am optimistic that 3d printers will *make it possible for people with agency* to meet most of their own needs for durable goods at only the cost of materials, practically free. In the same way that the Internet and free software and media has *made it possible for people with agency* to meet their needs for news, entertainment, education, reference materials, communication, and software at only the cost of transmission, practically free.
That has been revolutionary for those of us with the initiative and determination to seek out and share valuable stuff. This forum is an example of that. But the overwhelming majority prefers to stay stuck in the habit of buying mass-marketed products.
So I think the same thing will happen with 3D printing. The kind of people that read this forum, or run Linux, or go dumpster diving, will be able to live in a post-scarcity world, at least when it comes to things that can be made of extruded plastic. But for everyone else, very little will change.
***
That said, I am counting down the days until I can print a smartphone enclosure, bicycle components, and shoes.
So, I am optimistic that 3d printers will *make it possible for people with agency* to meet most of their own needs for durable goods at only the cost of materials, practically free. In the same way that the Internet and free software and media has *made it possible for people with agency* to meet their needs for news, entertainment, education, reference materials, communication, and software at only the cost of transmission, practically free.
That has been revolutionary for those of us with the initiative and determination to seek out and share valuable stuff. This forum is an example of that. But the overwhelming majority prefers to stay stuck in the habit of buying mass-marketed products.
So I think the same thing will happen with 3D printing. The kind of people that read this forum, or run Linux, or go dumpster diving, will be able to live in a post-scarcity world, at least when it comes to things that can be made of extruded plastic. But for everyone else, very little will change.
***
That said, I am counting down the days until I can print a smartphone enclosure, bicycle components, and shoes.
The beauty is that you don't even need to buy your own. Check out http://www.shapeways.com/ for example(no affiliation.. just randomly picked one of many) and see what you can get into.
Don't be fooled by the prices for finished products -- those include some kind of commission to the designer. When you design your own item, materials cost/minimums are surprisingly small.
Don't be fooled by the prices for finished products -- those include some kind of commission to the designer. When you design your own item, materials cost/minimums are surprisingly small.
I think these machines are going to significantly change the modern economy in my lifetime. Particularly when they are capable of printing integrated electronics right into the items, like a complete, printed circuit board including all its components. Apparently simple integrated electronics are already being done, according to an engineer at ZCorp anyway.
It's also a big deal that there's potential for the plastic resins to be completely reusable. So you could print out some kind of specialized wrench that you need for a project you're working on, use it, and then throw it back in the machine to be broken down and built back up the next time you need something.
This video stunned me, until I saw it I didn't realize how far along the technology already is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-aWFYT_SU
I think it's going to start out as a useful tool for hobbyists and DIYers for making specialized tools and parts for projects. There won't be any need to continue to hold onto a huge collection of specialty, rarely-used tools if you can just print one out whenever you need it. And as the technology gets more advanced with integrated circuits, and easier to use, I think we'll see consumer products primarily produced on the machines. Even with advanced electronics like laptops or smart phones you could potentially print out 90% of the product and just purchase the factory built CPU's, displays and batteries to snap into place.
It's also a big deal that there's potential for the plastic resins to be completely reusable. So you could print out some kind of specialized wrench that you need for a project you're working on, use it, and then throw it back in the machine to be broken down and built back up the next time you need something.
This video stunned me, until I saw it I didn't realize how far along the technology already is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ-aWFYT_SU
I think it's going to start out as a useful tool for hobbyists and DIYers for making specialized tools and parts for projects. There won't be any need to continue to hold onto a huge collection of specialty, rarely-used tools if you can just print one out whenever you need it. And as the technology gets more advanced with integrated circuits, and easier to use, I think we'll see consumer products primarily produced on the machines. Even with advanced electronics like laptops or smart phones you could potentially print out 90% of the product and just purchase the factory built CPU's, displays and batteries to snap into place.
The bottle neck is nanoscale detail, the cpu can't be printed yet. If the resolution and material can improve, we can make many things. However if that happens, what happens to the economy when the current economy depends on consumer spending.
http://on3dprinting.com/2012/08/15/prin ... ish-tanks/
http://on3dprinting.com/2012/08/15/prin ... ish-tanks/
Motley fool recommended this stuff a few months back. They mentioned three stocks in their presentation. I bought small amounts of two ...dassault systems and stratysys. Can't recall the third but the entire presentation can be had for your email address at mf. I think their reasoning had flaws, like this was going to obsolete injection molded plastic, and that this is a rapid process. It is actually painfully slow. Good for rapid protos but too slow compared to molding or stamping. But in the case of MF I think they will be right for the wrong reasons. That is, the equities will go up but not for the reasons they claim. In the end they will look like geniuses. Much of stock picking works this way.
I built a cnc mill years ago to speed up an assembly line. I was a pretty naive engineer and I didn't calculate throughput. The task was to drill twenty holes in a plate. I found that a skilled operator with a jig and drill press could beat the cnc and the cnc still needed a somewhat skilled operator to load the blank part. Learned all this after investing in the tooling.
I built a cnc mill years ago to speed up an assembly line. I was a pretty naive engineer and I didn't calculate throughput. The task was to drill twenty holes in a plate. I found that a skilled operator with a jig and drill press could beat the cnc and the cnc still needed a somewhat skilled operator to load the blank part. Learned all this after investing in the tooling.
I worry about intellectual property (patents and copyrights) stifling 3D printing and innovation.
This is a good short story on the topic: http://craphound.com/overclocked/Cory_D ... crime.html
This is a good short story on the topic: http://craphound.com/overclocked/Cory_D ... crime.html