Friday, October 16, 2009
Z Corporation's ZPrinter 350 will create a 3D object of any color you want, so long as it is white
Engadget: "We're not quite to the point where everybody has a 3D printer sitting on their desktop, spewing out conceptual widgets and free energy devices, but by golly if we aren't getting close."
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9 comments:
We've had multiple discussions about 3-D printers in stagecraft metals, and have decided that it would be a wonderful tool to have for certain things. Particularly in model building, for more detailed small scale models, this tool would be quite handy. However, it is expensive to run and takes a lot of time to print. But still. all the engineers have them, it seems like a tool that we should be taught to use. especailly when the prices come down as low as this one.
Admittedly not understanding the physical abilities and limitations of a machine like this, the prospect of 3D printing would be incredibly useful in theatre. Besides the model building potential that Brian A discussed, it could also be used to create lightweight props for use on stage. The new wave of digital props designers could input specific (AutoCad?) data in the machine and spit out a perfect replica of a period prop. The ability to send digital files also means that designs could be "purchased" online and the object printed in-house, saving tons on shipping costs (assuming the cost of 3D printing becomes reasonable).
While it wasn't this exact model, my high school has a 3D printer which is quite similar to this one, which I got to play with before. They are really cool! Although, like the article states, it does take an insanely long time to make anything, the way that it builds up the layers is mesmerizing to watch. Although since it takes so long, and the price of the materials is pretty high, I don't think it would be very practical to make props this way, but it would be very useful in creating small detailed models.
this seems like a cool thing to have. i have heard about 3 d printers but i heard that they cost so much and are not that good and are rilly slow. but this one seems like it is some what not expensive and works some what well the piksher that they show online seem grit awesome the thing that it can do buy it still takes an hr to print one thing but i guess that is fast for 3 d printing as it sad in the article. also the ease that this machine works seems like it would be great to have and not give you much problems.
I remember seeing a 3D printer at a museum in chicago a couple of years ago, and while it was definitely impressive to watch, I was amazed at how poor the resolution was and how slow it was. Clearly some of these exist that would be useful for model making and other fine detail work, but it's not clear to me if these really are where things are going. It may not ever become cheaper to maintain and supply one of these machines as to hire a human to sculpt or machine the piece, especially with the kind of non-standard things we make for the stage.
Even at low speed, poor resolution, and producing very weak "finished" items the new 3-D printers are still moving far beyond what was the state of the art just a few years ago while at the same time coming down in price and size. Even if the finished part isn't strong enough to actually use as it comes out of the machine it can always be used to make a mold to produce stronger version out of some other material. There's also the advantage of being able to do inside cuts (or the equivalent) even if you can't get a cutter into the inside to make them.
I hope that this is just the beginning of the use of this technology. I feel that not only in the theater industry, but the world as a whole can benefit from such advances. 3D printers would aid many people across the world. Right now the technology is slow, which is its most dramatic down fall. But I feel that once the speed is increased that people will begin to use it more.
I can't wait to see these machines become affordable in my life time. Just as the CNC machines are changing how we build things and the complexity of what we build, I think these 3D printers could create some really awesome things. The idea of a 3D model being built with such preciseness and, in my opinion, beauty, would be amazing. I can't wait to see the kinds of objects that are produced with these kinds of machines.
At this point, unless if the measurements of the object that one needs to make are highly specific, then it may still be a better deal to make it by some other means (simply in terms of time). Although, I think that this would be a good investment for other fields, I think that for the theatre industry as of now, since it takes so long, it wouldn't be the best method.
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