Life-cycle economic analysis of distributed manufacturing with open-source 3-D printers

The recent development of open-source 3-D printers makes scaling of distributed additive-based manufacturing of high-value objects technically feasible and offers the potential for widespread proliferation of mechatronics education and participation. These self-replicating rapid prototypers (RepRaps) can manufacture approximately half of their own parts from sequential fused deposition of polymer feedstocks. RepRaps have been demonstrated for conventional prototyping and engineering, customizing scientific equipment, and appropriate technology-related manufacturing for sustainable development. However, in order for this technology to proliferate like 2-D electronic printers have, it must be economically viable for a typical household. This study reports on the life-cycle economic analysis (LCEA) of RepRap technology for an average US household. A new low-cost RepRap is described and the costs of materials and time to construct it are quantified. The economic costs of a selection of 20 open-source printable designs (representing less than 0.02% of those available), are typical of products that a household might purchase, are quantified for print time, energy, and filament consumption and compared to low and high Internet market prices for similar products without shipping costs. The results show that even making the extremely conservative assumption that the household would only use the printer to make the selected 20 products a year the avoided purchase cost savings would range from about $300 to $2000/year. Assuming the 25 h of necessary printing for the selected products is evenly distributed throughout the year these savings provide a simple payback time for the RepRap in 4 months to 2 years and provide an ROI between >200% and >40%. As both upgrades and the components that are most likely to wear out in the RepRap can be printed and thus the lifetime of the distributing manufacturing can be substantially increased the unavoidable conclusion from this study is that the RepRap is an economically attractive investment for the average US household already. It appears clear that as RepRaps improve in reliability, continue to decline in cost and both the number and assumed utility of open-source designs continues growing exponentially, open-source 3-D printers will become a mass-market mechatronic device.

audio slide summary

Economic Advantage to Making Your Own Stuff with 3D Printing

This page is part of an international project to use RepRap 3-D printing to make OSAT for sustainable development. Learn more.

Research: Open source 3-D printing of OSAT • RecycleBot • LCA of home recycling • Green Distributed Recycling • Ethical Filament • LCA of distributed manufacturing • RepRap LCA Energy and CO₂ • Solar-powered RepRaps • solar powered recyclebot • Feasibility hub • Mechanical testing • RepRap printing protocol: MOST• Lessons learned • MOST RepRap Build • MOST Prusa Build • MOST HS RepRap build • RepRap Print Server

Make me: Want to build a MOST RepRap? - Start here! • Delta Build Overview:MOST • Athena Build Overview • MOST metal 3-D printer • Humanitarian Crisis Response 3-D Printer

Highlights[edit | edit source]

Open-source 3-D printers makes distributed manufacturing technically feasible.
Self-replicating rapid prototypers (RepRaps) can manufacture half of their own parts.
Life-cycle economic analysis of RepRap technology for US household provided.
Open-source 3-D printers recover material costs in less than 1 year, >200% ROI
Open-source designs growing exponentially predicts distributed manufacturing scaling.

Press[edit | edit source]

Make It Yourself and Save—a Lot—with 3D Printers - MTU News, Nanowerk, Cool 3D printing, Science Codex, Product Design and Development, Innovation Toronto, Space Mart
Study: At-home 3-D printing could save consumers 'thousands' - CNN, CBS Channel 3 Memphis
Printing Keychains and Shower Heads: 3-D Printing Goes Beyond the Lab - ABC News,Yahoo news
A 3-D Printer Can Pay For Itself In Less Than A Year - Popular Science
Study Finds 3D Printers Pay For Themselves In Under a Year - Slashdot
Household 3D Printers Can Pay For Themselves in a Year - Gizmodo
MTU Study: 3D Printing Will Reach The Home Soon - CBS Detroit, Worldnews, Detroit City and Press
3-D Printers could soon be a household items - 97.7 the Wolf
Make It Yourself With a 3-D Printer and Save Big Time - Science Daily, My Science Academy
Economic analysis shows 3-D printing is ready for showtime - Phys.org
3D printing at Michigan Tech- Prototype Today
3D Printers Can Save You Money - Red Orbit, Before it is news
MTU Study: 3D printers may soon be in every home - 3Ders, ewallstreeter, TG Daily, Tech Investor News, 3d Printer Updates
Research: Open-source 3D Printing Economic Implications - CW
Study: Using 3D Printers for Household Products Could Save Hundreds of Dollars - Daily Tech
3D Printing Could Become Mainstream: Make it Yourself to Save (Video) - Science World Reports
Study Predicts Home Use of Additive Manufacturing - Rapid Ready Tech
Households can save big time by using 3D printers for common items - ZME Science
3D printers are ready for prime time - Amtel Corp.
3D printers may soon be in every home - Laboratory Equipment
3D Printers Can Save You Money - ICT Craze
Study: Home 3D printing may bring 'make it, don't buy it' to families - IStockAnalyst
3D Printing at Home: Small Savings Will Add Up - Business News Daily
How to save money by making stuff with 3D printers - Kurzweil
3d Printers Can Already Save Consumers Money - Curious Cat blog
Study Finds Major Savings Through Household 3-D Printing - Txchnologist, Tech Hive
The household economics of 3-D printers - Marginal Revolution
Study Finds 3D Printing Could Save The Average Home Up To $2,000 A Year - Techcrunch
3D printers can pay for themselves in under a year - Computer World
Study: Home 3D printing may bring 'make it, don't buy it' to families - UPI
If you were being ripped off overpaying for iphone docks or are willing to use 3D printed Orthotics then 3D printers can save a lot of money - Next Big Future
Household 3D printers pay for themselves in short order - Boing Boing
printing in the home could save you up to $2000 a year- Personalize
MTU Study About 3D Printers - DIYZilla
3-D printing could save the average home up to $2,000 a year - MSN
You Are Probably Underestimating The Value Of At-Home 3-D Printing - Fast Company
Research in Michigan: 3D printers could save owners a lot of money- M Live
New Study: 3D Printers Will Pay For Themselves in a Year……What Do You Think? - Solid Smack
HouseHold Printers Pay For Themselves In A Year - Byte and Chew
3D Printing at Home: Small Savings Will Add Up - Yahoo News
Manufacturers to Cash in on 3D Printing Savings - Digital Manufacturing Report
Michigan Tech Researcher Claims Personal 3D Printing Could Save Consumers a Bundle Annually - Hot Hardware
Podcast #420 - August 3rd, 2013 -The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
10 household items that will be far, far cheaper with 3D printing Smart Planet
10 Cool Things 3-D Printers Can Do - Information Week
Michigan Tech Study Says: "The RepRap is an economically attractive investment for the average U.S. household already" - 3D Printing Industry
Want something? Print it - Post Noon
Print These 20 Things You Don't Really Need And Your 3-D Printer Pays For Itself - Co.Exist
How 3D Printing Will Save You Money - Tom's Guide
3D printers offer a good return on investment - 3D Printer
A Michigan Tech University Researcher Predicts That a 3D Printer May Soon be in Every Home - Maker Pro Newsletter
Click, print, fire: Grand Rapids startup hits accelerating 3D printed weapons market - M Live,The Ann Arbor News
Consumer 3D printing, affordable, great ROI, and delicious - The Network World
Craving a Midnight Snack? Try Printing Out a Brownie - Fox Business
3-D Printing Comes Home - Reality Times
Pandora's Box - The American Prospect
Study suggests home 3D printing could save people up to $2k p.a. - Hexus
3D Printing Star Trek Style - Markets Press
Disney sees 3D printer in every home within a decade- 3Ders
The wild & wonderful world of 3D printing - Graphics Art Magazine
Your Household Is Just a Few Years Away from a 3-D Printed Future - Daily Finance
Producing A Revolution - 3D printing opens new avenues for inventions, innovation - Corp Magazine
I printed my robot hand - Junior Scholastic
The 3D Economy - Reason
Formlabs, leaders in desktop 3D printing - TechGen Magazine
Making Ideas Tangible: How 3D Printers Will Transform the Classroom - Singularity Hub
Distributed Manufacturing - The Forum of the Future

International[edit | edit source]

Impresoras 3D permitirían ahorrar dos mil dólares en los hogares, según estudio

Latin America and the Caribbean

Impresoras 3D permitirían ahorrar dos mil dólares en los hogares, según estudio - NTN24

Canada

3D printers pay for themselves in under a year, study finds - CBC

Spain

Las impresoras 3D, rentables para sus usuarios - El Correo (Spanish for "The Courier") is the leading daily newspaper in Bilbao and the Basque Country of northern Spain. Its daily circulation, at ~100,000.
Las impresoras 3D, rentables para sus usuarios - Que Es
Las impresoras 3D, rentables para sus usuarios -ABC is a Spanish national daily newspaper - circulation >240,000, Sure es
"Hágalo usted mismo": impresión 3D para fabricar en casa objetos cotidianos - Tendencias 21

Poland

Drukarka 3D lepsza niż supermarket(3D Printer better than the supermarket) - Money.pl
Drukarka 3D lepsza niż supermarket - Onet.pl (largest Polish webportal)

Japan

Huffington Post Japan

Hungary

3D nyomtató minden otthonban

Austria

So viel Geld lässt sich mit 3D- Druckern sparen - Krone, is Austria's largest newspaper. According to a Österreichische Media-Analyse study, the average daily readership is 2,970,000.

Netherlands

3D-printer klaar voor grote doorbraak: de printer levert meer op dan deze kost - Scientias.nl
En hjemme-3D-printer kan nu tjene sig selv hjem på et år - Politiken.dk (circulation ~100k)

Russia

Домашний 3D-принтер окупается за 1 год - Habrahabr (blog)

UK

Study finds open-source home 3D printer could save $2,000 a year - The Register

Norway

Du kan spare tusenvis av kroner på 3D-skriving - Hardware.no

France

Imprimantes 3D: rentables en moins d'un an La Tribune (French financial newspaper circulation of ~78,000)
Etude: une imprimante 3D serait rentabilisée dès la première année - Mon Universe 3D

Costa Rica

Impresoras 3D le pueden economizar más de $1.000 La Nacion