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  1. #1

    3D Printers can Pay for Themselves within a Year!?

    Ok, I was reading an old article today, from back in August. There was apparently a study conducted at the Michgan Technology Institute. They found that printing items from Thingiverse could save someone between $312 and $1944 per year. To make those same products it would only cost about $18 in 3D printer materials (filament). They suggested items like phone cases, shower heads, garlic press, etc. Do you think this is feasible? Does anyone here think that they have saved this much money printing household items?

    Here is the abstract from the research report. I would have read the entire thing but they are charging $35 for the report.

    The recent development of open-source 3-D printers makes scaling of distributed additive-based manufacturing of high-value objects technically feasible and offers the potential for widespread proliferation of mechatronics education and participation. These self-replicating rapid prototypers (RepRaps) can manufacture approximately half of their own parts from sequential fused deposition of polymer feedstocks. RepRaps have been demonstrated for conventional prototyping and engineering, customizing scientific equipment, and appropriate technology-related manufacturing for sustainable development. However, in order for this technology to proliferate like 2-D electronic printers have, it must be economically viable for a typical household. This study reports on the life-cycle economic analysis (LCEA) of RepRap technology for an average US household. A new low-cost RepRap is described and the costs of materials and time to construct it are quantified. The economic costs of a selection of 20 open-source printable designs (representing less than 0.02% of those available), are typical of products that a household might purchase, are quantified for print time, energy, and filament consumption and compared to low and high Internet market prices for similar products without shipping costs. The results show that even making the extremely conservative assumption that the household would only use the printer to make the selected 20 products a year the avoided purchase cost savings would range from about $300 to $2000/year. Assuming the 25 h of necessary printing for the selected products is evenly distributed throughout the year these savings provide a simple payback time for the RepRap in 4 months to 2 years and provide an ROI between >200% and >40%. As both upgrades and the components that are most likely to wear out in the RepRap can be printed and thus the lifetime of the distributing manufacturing can be substantially increased the unavoidable conclusion from this study is that the RepRap is an economically attractive investment for the average US household already. It appears clear that as RepRaps improve in reliability, continue to decline in cost and both the number and assumed utility of open-source designs continues growing exponentially, open-source 3-D printers will become a mass-market mechatronic device.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    That's a pretty open ended question you ask. There are so many parameters that affect speculating. If you were to secure a buyer for an item that you netted enough to make about $200 a day, you could make about $50K a year. Given that, many 3d prints take a few hours, you'd have to print 5 every 10 hours (long work day for most people) and sell them for enough to net $40 each. That's pretty hard to do 5 days a week for 52 weeks. However, enterprising people do amazing things. So, if you can figure out a way to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling then I'm sure there is a way. There has to be someone out there with one printer who is making some good money. I'd guess that it's not common though.

    As far as supplying yourself and friends with useful objects that's tricky too. You can only use one phone case and once that's printed and the other 10 things you need, well, then you have nothing to print anymore. Well, you can always find something else to make, but you see the point I'm making I hope. What 3d printing is particularly great for is to make prototypes of parts for product development. You make up your gears and parts and levers, test them, and then go have them injection molded, blow molded, cast or whatever. Then you can sell 100's of those products each day hopefully.

    So it's hard to give someone with a question like yours a good answer. Because, whatever answer you give, someone will prove you wrong. Many people find ways to make money with about anything they touch. Many people also make little or no money at all. It's such a personal thing and it's linked to determination, creativity, perseverance and some luck thrown in. 3D printing is an emerging technology. I'd say get a printer and jump in. Things are going to heat up. There is no need to speculate about that. So if you start learning, when the time is right and the markets are ready for us, we'll be ready to seize the opportunities that may be on the horizon. For now though, don't quit your day job. Just get a printer and start experimenting. And, hopefully you find ways to generate revenue. Should the day come that the money you generate is about to equal your job, then quit your job and go full time. I hope you can do it....
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  3. #3
    Staff Engineer Davo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobH2 View Post
    ... don't quit your day job. Just get a printer and start experimenting.
    Best. Advice. Ever.

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