
Manufacturer Tells Customers to Print Replacement Parts with 3D Printers - replicatorblog
http://www.wired.com/design/2012/09/synthesizer-lets-you-3-d-print-your-own-parts/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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_k
I don't see a lot of companies doing this in the near future. Most of the
products out there are made in different materials and most companies consider
their CAD drawings to be their IP. You might as well partner up with a Chinese
company and let them copy your product.

I have 2 questions: What's the cost to print one of those components ? And if
every component can be 3D printed, how do you make money ?

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jlarocco
A lot of the 3D printing as a service sites allow you to choose the material.
Obviously it's limited to materials that can be 3D printed, but most support
some plastic, ceramic, and metal. [1]

The price per part depends on the material and the size of the part. In this
case, the parts were linked in the article [2]. It looks like $2-$5 per part,
depending on the material.

It didn't say all of the parts were 3D printable, and from the looks of it,
they've only put up STL files for the boring parts. It would take a good CAD
person less than 10 minutes to reproduce most of the parts they have listed,
generate their own STL, and have it 3D printed anyway.

[1] <http://www.shapeways.com/materials>

[2] <http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=acc+stl>

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evo_9
Interesting. I own an OP-1, amazing synth. These guys at teenage Engineering
are an impressive cutting edge company, I love their design and the way they
bring a fresh approach to their products. The OP Lab is great example (beside
the OP-1 itself), sort of a audio addon laboratory for sound nerds:
www.teenageengineering.com/products/oplab

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tibbon
Should this become commonplace in the future, we'll have to have a way for
either everyone own a 3d printer, or for people to easily be able to find a 3d
printer.

Incidentally, I'm working on something that does this and more. Details coming
over the next few months.

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ryanhuff
If this does become commonplace, I think the likely outcome is that we see a
Kinkos of 3d printing emerge.

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mhb
And maybe they can call it Shapeways.

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zaaaaz
Maybe Shapeways can open kiosks in mall parking lots.

I'd use that service.

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malandrew
Interestingly this approach also paves the way to create larger communities
around their core product. Checkout controllerism and specifically a guy named
Moldover on YouTube. Allowing the printing of simple parts is the first step
towards more complex controller parts and getting people more and more
invested in your product ecosystem.

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stephengillie
I've been predicting this since 3D printers showed up

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Patch124825
Wow

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Patch124825
That is just odd normal printers work fine!

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Patch124825
I agree

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Patch124825
Me too

