You may like to argue about whether or not 3D Printers will go mainstream, but one thing is for sure, you can get started pretty easy, pretty soon and do it on the cheap.
Prepare your fingers for nicks, scraps and beautiful droplets of layered ABS plastic. Next week, Makerbot will start shipping their Cupcake 3D printer. Right now, you can buy it before it starts shipping for $750.00 or you can purchase 250 of these bad boys for $525.00 each.
Here’s the details and the video. Are you getting one?
3D kit in a box
The printer is complete 3D Printing kit, meaning it comes with all the motor-buzzin’ wiry goodness you need to start printing. Quality? It’s layers of plastic, so what do ya expect, but the nice thing is that it can use ABS, so you can get it smoothed out pretty good after the print. Check out the dodecahedron they make in the video.
Makerbot Industries – Cupcake CNC from MakerBot Industries on Vimeo.
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Dude, sweet. Funny video as well. Looks like they don't have a Routing license, though. Or maybe that's just part of the look.
Any story behind the name “Cupcake”? I don't think any amount of frosting could make an ABS cupcake taste good.
Maybe assembly/use is “a piece of cake”, because of the size the unit is only “cupcake”? Looks like good times.
dimensional accuracy?
+/- 1 cake sprinkle.
In addition to ABS filament there is also a frosting extruder tip.
At first you had me rolling on the floor hysterically with laughter, but now I'm thinking, this may actually be GENIUS!!!!
This technology could TOTALLY be used to make custom confectionery creations. Come up with some CRAZY cool and complicated stuff for weddings, birthdays, quinceaneras, holidays… you name it. Crazy Cool Custom Confectionery Creations, or CCCCC, or The 5C, or SiSiSiSiSi(Spanish version), or any other variation on a theme!
Oh geez, I forgot the CNC. Crazy Cool Custom CNC Confectionery Creations…
I call dibs on the business idea, company name, marketing rights, merchandising contracts, patents, etc. !
I'm dead serious, this would be a killer business idea. Anyone else want in?
Haha, I actually have had the URL Konfection.com for some time now. The original thought was to make super artistic candies, but nothing came of it. Great ideas though!
Really good idea Bruce. Like Joseph says, the Reprap is being use to do this to an extent. Really, the potential to use a lot of different ingredients is there. It's just getting the material consistency right for the printer.
Oh yeah, check out the Fab@home wiki on materials – some really interesting materials being used.
You should get a domain name for that though, and a baker's hat. That would be a lot of fun.
We use a ZCorp 3d printer which is much more expensive. But, we can achieve double the resolution of the MakerBot as well as a much larger size. Over the next few years the resolution will get better. We've made mold masters and have entertained the idea of custom candy molds as well. Check out some example of what we've done at http://www.3dventures.com
Maybe assembly/use is “a piece of cake”, because of the size the unit is only “cupcake”? Looks like good times.
Maybe assembly/use is “a piece of cake”, because of the size the unit is only “cupcake”? Looks like good times.
I would use royal icing and mount a hair dryer to speed up the drying process… or maybe modelling chocolate and somehow heat the jets…
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