20.05.12
The idea of creating your own plastic objects using a 3D printer is very cool. Imagine, for example, being able to print Christmas gifts at home. Looking for a special toy? No need to visit the toy store when you can download that race car design file from a library of toys on the Internet and send it to your 3D printer. Or perhaps you'd like to customize the item first by opening the file in a simple 3D modeling program and add a few personal touches. That's the vision.
The reality is a bit different.
Two things are keeping 3D printers from going mainstream . One is technical. The other has to do with a lack of imagination. As with the tablet PC, 3D printing technology awaits its iPad moment when everything comes together.
[RELATED: 3D Printers: Almost Mainstream ]
By using a technique very similar to ink jet technology, 3D printers can build virtually any object by printing it using molten plastic ink or other materials, one layer at a time (see the comparison chart of 3D printing devices ). The prices for these devices, which at one time cost $100,000 or more, are now available to hobbyists for under $1,500 -- and $500 models aren't far off. Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president at market research firm Wohlers Associates, says low end printers in the $100 to $200 range for use by children are just around the corner.
Source: PCWorld