3D printers could ‘pay for themselves’ in just two months
A new study, carried out by Michigan Technological University, has challenged the notion that 3D printers are too expensive to be useful to households. The study showed that a 3D printer had the potential to offer savings of up to $2,000 a year by printing everyday objects.
Using the RepRap, a low-cost 3D printer, researchers printed twenty open-source 3D designs ranging from mobile phone accessories to kitchen utensils. They worked out that the cost to purchase these items from shops would be between $300 and $2,000.
This figure was then compared with the costs of purchasing the printer, the materials, and the production time involved. From this they calculated that the printer would pay for itself between four months and two years.
The large margins involved obviously represent the different costs associated with different quality items. However this makes us question, how do objects produced by the RepRap compare with the commercial counterparts?
The study concluded that 3D printers are already an economically attractive investment for the average household, but highlighted that the technology increases in reliability and decreases in cost they will become even more attractive, a point we are in agreement with.
The first commercially available 3D printer in the UK was launched last month. The Velleman K8200 went on sale at Maplin from £699.99. But it seems clear to us that it may take years for 3D printing to reach its full potential for household goods.