Could a new, much less
costly 3D printer be coming to the market in the near future? The owners of a
new Kickstarter campaign believe they could be the ones to bring such a device
to consumers.
Who/what/why?
The group called Tiko 3D says they are now able to produce a
3D printer that would be much less costly than comparable printers on the
market currently. The group of inventors began as consumers, but became
frustrated with the repeated disappointment experienced with using other 3D
printers being “heavy, over-complicated, and unreliable”, so they decided to
create their own. If it gets the backing needed by the group, Tiko will be able
to be sold for just $179: hundreds of dollars less than their closest
competitors.
Skepticism
is evident…
Other manufacturers of 3D printers are extremely skeptical
of the feasibility of the Tiko printer; and rightfully so. The majority of
smaller groups/companies that have tried to produce lower cost 3D printers have
had to shut down before they even actually got started, simply because many of
the components that are found within the devices are plain expensive. This
makes it difficult to sell below a certain price point while still maintaining
a margin of profit that is high enough to merit the continuation of producing
the devices.
So, how can
they do this?
With the skeptics about, it begs the question: how can they
actually produce Tiko at the cost they say they can? According to the Tiko 3D
group, the key to the low cost of the Tiko is the “unibody” structure. Rather
than other 3D printers having multiple rails to form the frame (the most
expensive part of a 3D printer), Tiko has a single piece in which all the arms
attach to allow the extruder head to move. This single piece structure then allows
for higher reliability with more precise prints and easier maintenance, in that
much fewer calibrations would have to be performed in order to keep the machine
in proper working order. This is because rather than having multiple rails that
can all move independently, Tiko has the unibody frame so that the whole device
is essentially one working piece that moves together. The printer would also be
extremely lightweight and portable, being only 3.7lbs; and since Tiko uses
nonproprietary filament on a standard spool, you are not restricted to any
certain material. One thing to remember is much of this information is
hear-say, and whether or not Tiko 3D would actually be able to pull it off is
another story.
What does
this mean to consumers?
If a well-built, reliable, and high-functioning 3D printer
enters the market at a price point of only $179, it could mean that anyone could be able to have a 3D
printer (which is what Tiko 3D says they want). It could also put a lot of
pressure on Tiko 3D from other companies to sell the rights to Tiko to the
larger market shareholders such as MakerBot. In any way, it would be great for
a product like Tiko to come out onto the market to help push other companies to
making more affordable printers so that everyone can make their own little odds and ends if they so wish.
3D printing is such a fascinating subject. I've seen 3D printed prosthetics not just for humans but even for animals. Its an amazing new technology that I'm sure will evolve into different things. There are so many uses for it that its hard to see or imagine what all could be done with this technology. I don't know much of anything about the actual printers themselves. and this leads me to a couple of questions from this article. When you say that this new Tiko printer would not limit materials that would be able to be printed, does this mean truly unlimited materials? If you can get your hands on the materials, then you can print with it?
ReplyDeleteI really liked how your article was set up overall. It made it easy to read and easy to refer back to certain things in your article when I was thinking about it. It would be nice if you gave a small explanation of how 3D printing works. Also an explanation of why 3D printing may be a better way to produce something than a different method used before.
The Tiko would not limit you for materials in the sense that it does not require proprietary cartridges for the material like some other printers do. Essentially, any standard material cartridge will work with the Tiko.
DeleteI really enjoyed your article. It was very informative, and was filled with great information over a short amount of text. I am very excited to hear about this product trying to be developed. I agree with you in the fact that it is one thing to say that they can do it and another to actually complete it. Though even with that on the line it is very cool development.
ReplyDeleteBeing an electrical engineering major I have looked into building my own 3D printer and you are right on with how difficult and costly they are to produce. Especially if you want one to work correctly and efficiently. Though I have faith in this company that they have a good plan to break the norm of how 3D printers are produced. After all that is the point of all engineering, to produce new ground braking products. We can not more forward in technology if some people wont break the norm and come out with great new ways to do the same tasks that were once very expensive to do. After all almost all technologies that we use today were at one point considered crazy and impossible by some. That's what makes engineering such a great field of study. Thank you for writing this article it was a great read.
I liked reading your article on 3D printing. It is very clear and concise as well as informative. 3D printing is definitely becoming a trend now. The demand for this product is reaching new heights. In fact, there is now 3D printing pens that people can use to bring their designs to life and create scale models. It works just like a 3D printer; you can load plastic filaments into the pen which then melts the plastic down and the user can draw freely. But you can imagine the limitations of a pen; they are more time consuming, expensive, and accuracy of the design may be in question due to using a freehand method as opposed to using a computer. The idea of a personal (and affordable) 3D printer is a great innovative idea that could potentially the way we view design.
ReplyDeleteThe cost of even a simple 3D printing pen can be up to one-hundred dollars or more, if a normal printer were to reach this price range the public would definitely buy into the product. However, taking the steps to make this product more available will not be easy. The cost of the plastic (or other materials) and printer parts are expensive and may cause those interested to look away. But by raising awareness to the demand for the product may cause companies to continue to actively seek out ways to develop this product.
I was immediately drawn by the 3-d printing title because i know we just got a new on in our own NDSU library. I think it is awesome that we have developed the technology to make something 3D from a 2 dimensional screen. I was very intrigued thought this whole article because i have always wanted to make something on the 3D printer but i had no clue how to operated or what i was expected to do in order for me to print something. The limitations in degsinnning things have now been brought to a whole new level with ability to print in 3D i know many fields, well actually most, can use this kind of technology in there everyday workplace. It will make things clear and more concise which will be easier to understand or demonstrate how something works. This was an awesome article because it is very apparent in today's technology and i have always been really interested in the technology of 3D printing.
ReplyDeleteI found your article very interesting and informative and learned a lot from it. I was unaware that Tiko was trying to come out with a 3D printer for such a low price point. Because of its proposed, inexpensive cost, this 3D printer could be wildly successful if it is released with minimal problems. I think it is safe to assume the printer would be lacking in some luxury features, and probably doesn't have the same precision that more expensive ones might have. But, I think there is still a very large market for lower-end 3D printers.
ReplyDeleteThe very idea of 3D printers is very exciting and interesting. I don't know if many people foresaw their development, or would have bet on their feasibility. I think if innovation continues to happen in the realm of 3D printers, we could see a rapid increase in their use.