$299 3D Printer shatters Kickstarter goals - Has 3D printing became affordable?

[WYP]

3D printing is set to change the world, allowing users to create almost anything from the comfort of their own homes.

Earlier this week a 3D printer named The Micro hit Kickstarter by storm, hitting it's funding goal of $50,000 in just 11 minutes. Now the Micro has just broken $2 Million.

Now what is the fuss all about? Well here is a video which will hopefully explain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNr9ogDYR-Q​

Measuring at just 7.3in (or 18.5cm) square and weighing 1kg (2.2lbs), the device will be easy placed and move around the home. It can be used with Windows, Mac or Linux and will be compatible with a range of 3D model formats.

The Micro is designed to be accessible to everyday users, with more advanced settings available to the 3D printing enthusiast. The interface is designed to be easy to use, making a 3D print just a simple drag and drop away.

Retail pricing is unconfirmed, but it is expected to be in the same $299 dollar price bracket or potentially cheaper.

Now some of you guys are thinking "Mark this is a PC forum, does this really apply to us?", yes it does. Imagine what we as pc enthusiasts and modders could do with a 3D printer, what custom parts we could make to modify our cases just that little bit further.

I challenge all of you here to think of one good thing you could make from a 3D printer, specifically with PC modding in mind. It can be anything big or small scale, all I want you to do is post it!

As always post your thoughts and feelings on this article below.

Source - Kickstarter

 

[SeekaX]

This will change the sextoy industry forever.
I will take this with a grain of salt, out of nowhere there is supposed to be a 3D printer for $299, that's too much of a price drop.

 

[barnsley]

So very excited for this. It also opens the gate for plebs like me to modding. For me, I'd love to make a replacement 5.25 drive bay cover as the ones on my current case look a bit naff.

 

[AverageNinja]

PSU cover, custom GPU backplate, one big plate to cover all of the optical drivebays on a case. The possibilities are endless

 

[SuB]

I can think of a million uses, literally a million uses These things will revolutionise the way we think about stuff. 3D printers will change the world!

 

[iBeInspire]

So what does material does it print in..? Plastic, paper..?

 

[SuB]

So what does material does it print in..? Plastic, paper..?

Extruded ABS plastic in most cases, there are some ceramic 3D printers but they are fewer and usually more expensive and/or homebrew

 

[SeekaX]

Extruded ABS plastic in most cases, there are some ceramic 3D printers but they are fewer and usually more expensive and/or homebrew

I think i read about a 3D printer using metal not too long ago?

 

[SuB]

I think i read about a 3D printer using metal not too long ago?

if there is one, i want it

 

[SPS]

I think it's the materials more than anything that make it an expensive venture.

 

[Davva2004]

If I had one, and it could print in transparent plastic, I'd print a side window reservoir.

 

[Wraith]

Oh yes! Although it does sound a little to good to be true at that price, but I would love this in my arsenal of modding tools.

 

[remember300]

it can take ABS and PLS easily and there are a few even cooler materials that you can wash away with soap so you can build something really delicate, like id print things like a headphone stand for my v2000 with my Alias etched in with led backing or something with a character from something imbedded into the print.
and the metal ones are far and few between some act like a solder to use a eutectic metal and cause it to what i can only describe as blobulate lol onto the material, or you have mini arc welders which can add material.
its more along the lines of a cnc machine than printing but all still cool, and yes you can get some clear ABS for these but it goes a little translucent most of the time.

 

[yassarikhan786]

A $200 pledge for one of these is a very reasonable price.

 

[SeekaX]

if there is one, i want it

http://www.gizmag.com/3d-metal-printing-robot/30938/
Get your hands on one of those, doesn't matter if you have to steal it. We are going to make our own cases, tubing, blocks, backplates, etc..

 

[iBeInspire]

Do these things get really hot in order to be able to shape the plastic?

This would kind of destroy some whole industries who rely on people buying their plastic things :/ Must be some kind of limitation.? Can't just download a 3D model anything and go straight to printing it..?

 

[iBeInspire]

Sorry for the double post but LEGO'S GOING OUT OF BUISNESS.

 

[remember300]

People are trying to put a copy right on set designs, and its affecting lego and games workshop in a big way
They do get rather warm but the temps are that of melting hot glue for abs and pls

 

[SuB]

Sorry for the double post but LEGO'S GOING OUT OF BUISNESS.

There's not a chance you could print things to the same tolerances that LEGO does yet, not even close.

People are trying to put a copy right on set designs, and its affecting lego and games workshop in a big way
They do get rather warm but the temps are that of melting hot glue for abs and pls

yeah Games workshop have vito'ed anything 3d that anyone makes, they are notoriously defensive of their IP, you can't even make bases using their parts anymore, or copies of them, it's madness really since it's a hobby. But they go after anyone with teeth and claw if it even resembles their stuff. Perhaps if they weren't such money-grabbing over-charging crooks people might not want to copy/make their own stuff...

 

[maniac]

This could be the best investment I can imagine, Imagine all the car/rc/pc/home appliances replacements you can create on youre own while saving a ton of money, I WANT IT, I dont care how much it costs but I want it!