Three-dimensional printing is much more than a hobby
industry today. Home users can download design files from websites and
print a variety of products for their own use. Business users are
creating functional products that let them jump-start their product
lines with computer-assisted drafting software and desktop 3D printers.
High-priced proprietary 3D printing systems are rapidly giving way to more economical and innovative hardware and software developed by open source communities.
"Open source is really driving the 3D-printing technology. The desktop market has a price range of (US)$5,000 or less. Open source developers are very active in this industry and are responsible for a lot of innovations in hardware, extrusion methods and materials," Harris Kenny, communications manager at Aleph Objects, told LinuxInsider.
However, consumers beware: The courts have yet to decide whether you can keep it if you print it. Ownership rights ultimately might depend on the source of the printer file making the object.
RepRap is one of the first open source organizations to produce a low-cost 3D printer. Started by Adrian Bowyer, it is one of the projects that started the open source 3D printer revolution.
Another innovative open source influencer of 3D printing is the Fab@Home project founded by Evan Malone and Hod Lipson. The project was the first to make a multimaterial 3D printer available to the public.
The RepRap and Fab@Home projects became synonymous with the open source do-it-yourself 3D printer movement. Together they helped to generate the momentum needed to accelerate technology innovation and its migration into the consumer and maker space.
"Interest in business use of 3D desktop printing is rooted in the value of manufacturing your own designs conveniently and economically," said Aleph Objects' Kenny.
High-priced proprietary 3D printing systems are rapidly giving way to more economical and innovative hardware and software developed by open source communities.
"Open source is really driving the 3D-printing technology. The desktop market has a price range of (US)$5,000 or less. Open source developers are very active in this industry and are responsible for a lot of innovations in hardware, extrusion methods and materials," Harris Kenny, communications manager at Aleph Objects, told LinuxInsider.
However, consumers beware: The courts have yet to decide whether you can keep it if you print it. Ownership rights ultimately might depend on the source of the printer file making the object.
RepRap is one of the first open source organizations to produce a low-cost 3D printer. Started by Adrian Bowyer, it is one of the projects that started the open source 3D printer revolution.
Another innovative open source influencer of 3D printing is the Fab@Home project founded by Evan Malone and Hod Lipson. The project was the first to make a multimaterial 3D printer available to the public.
The RepRap and Fab@Home projects became synonymous with the open source do-it-yourself 3D printer movement. Together they helped to generate the momentum needed to accelerate technology innovation and its migration into the consumer and maker space.
"Interest in business use of 3D desktop printing is rooted in the value of manufacturing your own designs conveniently and economically," said Aleph Objects' Kenny.
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