Editing Emergence of Home Manufacturing in the Developed World: Return on Investment for Open-Source 3-D Printers

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{{Source data
| type = Paper
| cite-as = Emily E. Petersen and Joshua Pearce. [http://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/5/1/7 Emergence of Home Manufacturing in the Developed World: Return on Investment for Open-Source 3-D Printers]. ''Technologies'' 2017, 5(1), 7; doi:10.3390/technologies5010007 [https://www.academia.edu/31327768/Emergence_of_Home_Manufacturing_in_the_Developed_World_Return_on_Investment_for_Open-Source_3-D_Printers open access]
}}

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.

* Supplementary: http://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/5/1/7/s1
* [https://www.lulzbot.com/store/printers/lulzbot-mini Lulzbot Mini] - source code: http://download.lulzbot.com/Mini/

{{Video
| title = Economic Advantage to Making Your Own Stuff with 3D Printing
| video = C8Wv3LCJcUE
}}

{{Pearce publications notice}}

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== Keywords ==

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

== See also ==

* [[Economic Impact of DIY Home Manufacturing of Consumer Products with Low-cost 3D Printing from Free and Open Source Designs]]
* [[Life-cycle economic analysis of distributed manufacturing with open-source 3-D printers]]
* [[Impact of DIY Home Manufacturing with 3D Printing on the Toy and Game Market]]
* [[Quantifying the Value of Open Source Hardware Development]]
* [[Open-source, self-replicating 3-D printer factory for small-business manufacturing]]
* [[Distributed manufacturing with 3-D printing: a case study of recreational vehicle solar photovoltaic mounting systems]]
* [[Global value chains from a 3D printing perspective]]
* [[Economic Potential for Distributed Manufacturing of Adaptive Aids for Arthritis Patients in the U.S.]]
* [[Low-cost open source ultrasound-sensing based navigational support for visually impaired]]
* [[Towards national policy for open source hardware research: The case of Finland]]
* [[Parametric Nasopharyngeal Swab for Sampling COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Viruses: Open Source Design, SLA 3-D Printing and UV Curing System]]
* [[Open-Source Medical Hardware for Pandemics]]
* [[Economic Savings for Scientific Free and Open Source Technology: A Review]]
* [[Low-cost Assistive Technologies for Disabled People Using Open-Source Hardware and Software: A Systematic Literature Review]]
* [[Business Models for Open Source Hardware Repositories]]
* [[Leveraging Open Source Development Value to Increase Freedom of Movement of Highly Qualified Personnel]]

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== In the News ==

[[File:covermdpi.jpg|right]]

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* ---
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=== International ===

* [http://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/tekniikka/tuore-tutkimus-talla-tonnin-investoinnilla-saastat-jopa-11-000-viidessa-vuodessa-6624849 Tuore tutkimus: Tällä tonnin investoinnilla säästät jopa 11 000 € viidessä vuodessa ] -Tekniikka & Talous (Finland) - Tech news circulation 61,850
* [http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/fiksu-ostos-1000-euron-investoinnilla-saastat-11-000-euroa-6625136 Fiksu ostos: 1000 euron investoinnilla säästät 11 000 euroa] - Tivi (Finland) - monthly computer magazine circulation 156,000
* [http://www.mikrobitti.fi/2017/02/tutkimus-unohda-lahikauppa-3d-tulostamalla-taloustavaroita-voi-saastaa-sievoisia-summia/ Tutkimuksen yllättävä tulos: unohda lähikauppa – 3d-tulostamalla taloustavaroita voi säästää sievoisia summia] - Mikrobitti (Finland) Computer Magazine circulation: 29,553
* [http://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/se-on-vahvistettu-tama-tonnin-hankinta-tuo-jo-viidessa-vuodessa-jopa-11-000-n-saaston-6625099 Se on vahvistettu: Tämä tonnin hankinta tuo jo viidessä vuodessa jopa 11 000 €:n säästön] Talouselämä (Finland) economic weekly circulation:81,280
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20170922175124/http://www.weiot.net:80/article-31676.html 3D打印用于日常究竟能多省钱？半年回本，5年回报10倍]- Weiot (China)
* [http://24maker.com/thread-18468-1-1.html MTU最新研究：在家3D打印除了省钱还能获得1000％的的高回报] - 24 Maker (China)
* [http://wengu.aniu.tv/news_10501233.html MTU的新研究揭晓在家3D打印可以为您节省金钱] Wengu.Aniu.TC (China)
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20171028094450/http://www.3dhoo.com/news/guowai/27890.html MTU的新研究揭晓在家3D打印可以为您节省金钱] 3DHoo (China)
* [http://www.nanjixiong.com:80/thread-98439-1-1.html 3D打印用于日常究竟能多省钱？半年回本，5年回报10倍！] Nanjixiong (China)
* [http://blog.naver.com/restructurer/220936048899 가정용 3D프린터 구매는 절약의 지름길??|작성자 3D프린트뉴스] - (Korea)
* [http://3dtoday.ru/blogs/news3dtoday/around-the-world-with-3dtoday-a-new-hydrogel-for-bioprinting-of-bone-t1/ Вокруг света с 3Dtoday: новый гидрогель для костной биопечати, итоги первого конкурса Hyperloop и исследование экономии от бытовых 3D-принтеров ] -3D Today (Russia)
* [https://www.scientias.nl/3d-printer-rendement-bijna-1000-5-jaar-uitstekende-investering/ 3D-printer: met een rendement van bijna 1000% over 5 jaar een uitstekende investering ] Scientias.nl (Dutch)
* [https://www.3d-grenzenlos.de/magazin/kurznachrichten/amortisation-privater-3d-drucker-studie-27231643/ Wissenschaftliche Studie besagt, ein privater 3D-Drucker kann bis zu 1000 Prozent Rendite abwerfen] - 3d-grenzenlos.de (German)
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* [http://www.3dnatives.com/impression-3d-maison-17022017/ Faites des économies grâce à l'impression 3D !] - 3D Natives (France)
* [https://3druck.com/case-studies/kann-man-mit-einem-3d-drucker-fuer-den-heimgebrauch-tatsaechlich-geld-sparen-5054563/ Kann man mit einem 3D-Drucker für den Heimgebrauch tatsächlich Geld sparen?] - 3DRuck (German)
* [http://proexpansion.com/es/articulos_oe/2821-los-efectos-de-tener-una-impresora-3d-en-casa Los efectos de tener una impresora 3D en casa]- Pro Expansion (Spanish)
* [http://www.trdimension.com/blog/estudio-de-joshua-pearce-sobre-uso-personal-impresoras-3d-en-el-hogar Las impresoras 3D en el hogar para uso personal son el futuro]-TRD (Spanish)
* [http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2017/06/30/3d-printing-home-saves-big/ How 3D Printing at Home Saves Big ]-Dubai Chronicle
* [https://www.3dzao.cn/articles/detail/2234.html 在家3D打印到底能不能省钱？MTU研究不仅说能，还会获得1000％的高回报]- 3D Zao (47980,China)

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