pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

The output of such a 3D printer is plastic.

I shouldn't have been so vague. I meant something a little more durable than the standard 3d print output. I'm assuming they're printing ABS plastic with their dimension.

ABS is already a great plastic, but the applications of it in something like FIRST are numbered. You could use the standard output in low-load, low-impact areas such as potentiometer and encoder couplers and other sensor integration applications. But as soon as they want to start making, stuff that is going to take more of a beating (mecanum rollers, custom wheels, pulleys, etc...) it would be wise to use a more durable material. Cast aluminum is heavy, but if they wanted to try cast polycarbonate, polyethylene, acrylic, etc... I'm sure they would see a benefit as well as an increase in applications for which they could use their printer.