http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25878078
According to this article on BBC Technology, the world's first multi-material
full-colour 3D printer has been launched by Stratasys, the owner of the MakerBot
range of printers.
It features "triple-jetting" technology that combines droplets of three base
materials, reducing the need for separate print runs and painting.
The company said the Objet500 Connex3 Color Mutli-material 3D Printer would
be a "significant time-saver" for designers and manufacturers.
It will cost about $330,000 (£200,000).
It is worth the money??? would you pay the amount of a mortgage???
I could always print a house and that would solve the problem!
ReplyDeleteIt would take (according to latest calculations) 220 years to print an average house...suppose you could take lots of vitimins to last that long!!! OR start printing now for great-great grand kids to enjoy the house when it's ready!
ReplyDeleteIKEA type flat pack is probably much quicker, self assembly! Just put part A into part B and firmly tighten. Locate part C and D and use 6 inch bolts with lengths of wood part E...AAARRRRGGGHHH!!
ReplyDeleteHow hard is it to make a silly TV cabinet, never mind a house!!! HAHA
"A typical 2,500-square-foot, two-story house would take 220 years to print out and use more than $330,000 in plastics. I ran the numbers on my own home and it would only take 120 years and $182,000 to make it with a MakerBot printer. That doesn't even include extras, like windows, wood flooring, or heating." - cnet.com
However the MakerBot printer is comparably tiny and slow. It's just meant for small objects, so of course that wouldn't work. I could imagine that once this technology picks up, companies could emerge that have huge (bigger than a house) printer they place in the spot you want to have your house at and print it there with tenthousands of extruders. That should work. And I think then considering they won't need much staff for those, they could cut significantly on the costs and make this ultimately faster and cheaper than regular construction.
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ReplyDeleteAlso, 3D printing of houses would reduce human error and insure that houses are built to standard...I'm not sure though if that would allow for more customization or if all houses would just end up being one model...We might lose some of the diversity, but then again, that is already happening in construction today anyhow.
ReplyDeleteWhy would we lose diversity? You could simply add in a drag and drop way whatever elements you want to have for your house. Just like the current software for the small printers allows, if you have the right models downloaded.
ReplyDeleteImagine! A thingiverse.com for architecture! I think we might be on to a multi-billion dollar idea here! :D