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.
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?"
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.