Hi folks
I couldn't agree more with Elaine. Yes, we need an under 20 even better
under
10K$ 3D printers. The first thing I learned about business is that the
money
comes from the mass not from a few big deals. It's the same with RP
machines.
When some big player will arrive there will be totally new and different
story.
RP needs some big name to break-in and make high-tech less high-tech
and make a product for the mass market. Let's take a look on the richest
RP company. They represent 1/50 or even less then ... let me say EPSON
printer division. This could mean that EPSON is capable to develop new
products new technologies and of course for small money. When the other
side (richest RP) is very limited.
And again, and again: the actual Top-Gun technology in RP is too expensive.
Well, maybe I'm stupid or I really don't get a clue on RP problems, but we
already have all needed technology to produce a 3D printer. It's called ink
jet
or in our case binder or glue jet. What we need more? A mechanism to evenly
distribute the powder and another to rise the jet heads. Is that so damn
difficult or what?
Time ago I dismantle my old Epson Stylus Color and I made a kind of moving
holder filed with flour (the one from kitchen). The holder with flour in it
was the
replacement for the paper. And guess what. I was able to print a picture on
flour.
Can you imagine that. A coloured picture on the flour? OK it wasn't sharp
as on
usual media but...I finished with my little 3D printer because of personal
reasons
but Elaine and other professors out there, what a hell are you doing with
your
students? They are extremely ingenious and they could make some projects
in this direction. Instead of using those expensive RP equipment they could
build their own.
Dorjano Baruca
SRC Computers
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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