An inexpensive open source 3D printer
Open Hardware – Printy
© Lead Image © Kirill Cherezov, 123RF.com
Printy offers an inexpensive, open source DIY 3D printer kit, with a license that paves the way for future open source solutions.
If a single technology defines crowdfunding and open hardware, it would be 3D printing. Not only did 3D printers appear at about the same time as crowdfunding and open hardware, but the demand for cheaper 3D printers has always been high. Even more importantly, 3D printers are a way for other open hardware projects to print cases and replacement parts, overcoming the problems of manufacturing hardware. Kickstarter alone lists 685 projects related to 3D printing over the last decade – however, most are proprietary, only 37 are open source and even those may use obsolete technologies [1]. Jay Lin's Printy project [2] is an attempt to bridge that gap with an inexpensive do-it-yourself open hardware kit (Figure 1) whose crowdfunding campaign will be underway by the time this magazine hits the newsstands.
Figure 1: An assembled Printy prototype.
Printy's Crowd Supply page spells out the current situation: "SLA [Stereolithography] 3D printers are not only expensive, they are typically proprietary. For an enthusiast trying to find the right balance between low cost, high print quality, and open source design, the best advice one could offer has long been 'pick one'. The current market has left the 3D printer community stranded in a disconnected ecosystem full of walled gardens. With Printy, we aim to dismantle those walls and help reconnect that community. And what better way to share the joy of 3D printing than by first sharing the joy of building a 3D printer?"
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