Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH
The other thing to look into is the cost of 3D printing. When 330 looked into it, the cost of material used would be within the limits. However, the smallest commercially available quantity (what FIRST cost accounting is partially based on) would have been too much. However, costs may have come down since then, and different materials would cost different amounts.
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There are several different technologies used in "Rapid Prototyping". They each have advantages and disadvantages. The technology Eric refers to above was Selective Laser Sintering or SLS. The powder used for SLS only came in packages that cost about $4k. That was several years ago and while I continue to be active in the field, I no longer worry about budgets so I have no idea what costs are now.
"3D printing" is often used to refer to a different process called Fused Deposition Modeling, or FDM. The raw materials are much cheaper and there are FDM machines available that a typical team could afford if they make a lot of use of it. I'm talking <$2K. You have to put it together yourself, but that is just part of the fun.