3d plastic printer

[Zemo]

I just saw this on cnn. I hadn't seen it before. looks like it would have a lot of possibilities.


http://www.makerbot.com/

[jimsmegos]

To me this is going to be the most awesome new thing... even more so than the i-whatever. My reason being that imagine being able to see an item for sale on TV but then being able to immediately purchase and "print it off". Christmas shopping made easy!

Simply pay via Credit Card, download the items code directly to the printer, press 'enter' and wah lah! Instant new do-dad.

[jimsmegos]

Hoy crapola- This could even evolve to the point of literally being able to fax someone a beer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5TPclRhQ6s

[LadyZod]

I believe LaserMego has one of the makerbot printers.

Digital Fabrication - Laser Mego

[jacsfc]

This printer will not do that at all. All it can do is make the plastic shell of an item. No electronics, No moving parts. It could be used to duplicate mego parts in pieces.

To me this is going to be the most awesome new thing... even more so than the i-whatever. My reason being that imagine being able to see an item for sale on TV but then being able to immediately purchase and "print it off". Christmas shopping made easy!

Simply pay via Credit Card, download the items code directly to the printer, press 'enter' and wah lah! Instant new do-dad.

[Tothiro]

This printer will not do that at all. All it can do is make the plastic shell of an item. No electronics, No moving parts. It could be used to duplicate mego parts in pieces.

Actually you can make structures with interior moving parts, maybe not on makebot but with similar higher end printers. It requires a separate material spool for a soluble material so the machine can form "floating" pieces that are kept in place until finished. So one might hope that the cost comes down and something more versatile isn't far off.

Jay Leno illustrates on youtube - (example of single build working crescent wrench at 5:10)

[emeraldknight47]

This is such a cool device and it opens the doors to so many new possibilities within our hobby! Stuff that would have been next to impossible before now seems within reach! I'd love to see one of these in person and operating!

[bizzaro megomauler]

i want one of these, but how does one load an original to replicate?

[Tothiro]

i want one of these, but how does one load an original to replicate?

People swap CAD files of various models... It's like having an ebook file and telling your printer to print it.
New models have to be CAD designed in the computer or scanned in as the guy illustrates in the link in my last post.