News - The $100 3D Peachy Printer blasts past Kickstarter funding targets

[HEXUS]

Bargain priced 3D printer takes a new approach.

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[edzieba]

I'm impressed they've managed to get a half-decent output from ghetto galvanometers and sound card output, but what's REALLY impressive is the saline float system. Not only does it eliminate a complex and expensive fluid-immersed z-axis (and is self-leveling!), but it drastically reduces the quantity of resin needed for a build. Photosensitive resin is THE big cost for photolithographic machines, so even without their 'cheap' resin mix (I'll believe it when I see it) that alone is a huge innovation. I'm tempted to skip the laser setup, and use the 'classic' photolithographic setup of a DLP projector with a short focus lens to get better resolution and repeatability and swap out the moving bed for the drip system, but I should really finish the pile of bits intended to be a MendelMax first...

[DemonHighwayman]

I'd be interested in this although I have to say the photo's of the printouts do make the results look a little lumpy.

[Otherhand]

I'd be interested in this although I have to say the photo's of the printouts do make the results look a little lumpy.

I'm yet to see an affordable 3D printer that doesn't create those strata. You could always buff them out with a fine sanding tool though.

I still think it's a mistake to have popularised the term "3D printing". The original term was obviously unwieldy, but really "rapid prototyping" was always a much better phrase to explain the nature and function of the products.

[Cog]

But 3D printers are able to create items that are an end product, so rapid prototyping is an entirely useless name. Rapid prototyping is only a use of the machines, not their name.

There's not really much wrong with the 3D printing term from an engineering standpoint. The only other name for them is additive manufacturing.