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* [https://gypsy.ninja/3d-printer-money-tenfold-5-years/ Buy A 3D Printer And Get Your Money Back A Tenfold In 5 Years] - Gypsy Ninja
* [https://gypsy.ninja/3d-printer-money-tenfold-5-years/ Buy A 3D Printer And Get Your Money Back A Tenfold In 5 Years] - Gypsy Ninja
* [https://www.computerpoweruser.com/article/24252/qa-with-joshua-pearce 3D Printers In The Average American Household]- Computer Power User
* [https://www.computerpoweruser.com/article/24252/qa-with-joshua-pearce 3D Printers In The Average American Household]- Computer Power User
* [https://opensource.com/article/17/3/how-to-create-consumer-goods-open-hardware How buying a 3D printer can save you money] - Opensource.com
* [http://www.openhealthnews.com/story/2017-03-24/obliterate-cost-consumer-products-open-hardware Obliterate the Cost of Consumer Products with Open Hardware]- Open Health News
* [http://imgur.com/gallery/zcX5srh Imgur]
* [http://imgur.com/gallery/zcX5srh Imgur]



Revision as of 13:52, 25 March 2017

Economic Advantage to Making Your Own Stuff with 3D Printing
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Source

Abstract

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Through reduced 3-D printer cost, increased usability, and greater material selection, additive manufacturing has transitioned from business manufacturing to the average prosumer. This study serves as a representative model for the potential future of 3-D printing in the average American household by employing a printer operator who was relatively unfamiliar with 3-D printing and the 3-D design files of common items normally purchased by the average consumer. Twenty-six items were printed in thermoplastic and a cost analysis was performed through comparison to comparable, commercially available products at a low and high price range. When compared to the low-cost items, investment in a 3-D printer represented a return of investment of over 100% in five years. The simple payback time for the high-cost comparison was less than 6 months, and produced a 986% return. Thus, fully-assembled commercial open source 3-D printers can be highly profitable investments for American consumers. Finally, as a preliminary gauge of the effect that widespread prosumer use of 3-D printing might have on the economy, savings were calculated based on the items’ download rates from open repositories. Results indicate that printing these selected items have already saved prosumers over $4 million by substituting for purchases.

Keywords

distributed manufacturing; additive manufacturing; 3-D printing; consumer; economics; open-source

See also

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