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

Revision as of 14:33, 15 February 2017

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

Emily E. Petersen and Joshua Pearce. 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 open access
- Supplimentary: http://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/5/1/7/s1
- Lulzbot Mini - source code: http://download.lulzbot.com/Mini/

Abstract

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

In the News

Just Press Print: 3-D Printing At Home Saves Cash - MTU News , Eureka Alert, Science Daily, Xania News
Researchers calculate major cost savings of 3-D printing household items - Phys.org , HiTech Days, ECN Magazine
3D-printed household items mean major cost savings - Electronics Specifier
3D printing at home will save you money down the line, says new study from MTU - 3Ders, Longroom, STL finder
License to Print Money at Home?- Engineering360 IEEE GlobalSpec
Report Indicates That 3D Printing Can Save Consumers Up To $4 Million-One Angry Gamer
How 3-D printing at home saves big bucks -- ScienceDaily- DailyMe, Eurasia Review, Last Min Christmas
MTU Study: 3-D Home Printer To Produce 1000 Percent Return Over 5 Years-MI Tech News
New study shows how 3-D printing at home saves big bucks - Domain B
Like Making Money: Study Shows How 3-D Printing at Home Saves Big Bucks - Ideas, Inventions And Innovations

International

Tuore tutkimus: Tällä tonnin investoinnilla säästät jopa 11 000 € viidessä vuodessa -Tekniikka & Talous (Finland)
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)
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)
Вокруг света с 3Dtoday: новый гидрогель для костной биопечати, итоги первого конкурса Hyperloop и исследование экономии от бытовых 3D-принтеров -3D Today (Russia)
3D-printer: met een rendement van bijna 1000% over 5 jaar een uitstekende investering Scientias.nl (Dutch)
Wissenschaftliche Studie besagt, ein privater 3D-Drucker kann bis zu 1000 Prozent Rendite abwerfen - 3d-grenzenlos.de (German)

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 * [https://phys.org/news/2017-02-major-d-household-items.html Researchers calculate major cost savings of 3-D printing household items ] - Phys.org , [http://www.hitechdays.com/browser/169958/ HiTech Days], [https://www.ecnmag.com/news/2017/02/researchers-calculate-major-cost-savings-3-d-printing-household-items  ECN Magazine]
 * [http://production.electronicspecifier.com/3d-printing/3d-printing-household-items-mean-major-cost-savings 3D-printed household items mean major cost savings ] - Electronics Specifier
-* [http://www.3ders.org/articles/20170214-3d-printing-at-home-will-save-you-money-down-the-line-says-new-study-from-mtu.html 3D printing at home will save you money down the line, says new study from MTU ] - 3Ders, [https://www.longroom.com/discussion/326090/3d-printing-at-home-will-save-you-money-down-the-line-says-new-study-from-mtu Longroom]
+* [http://www.3ders.org/articles/20170214-3d-printing-at-home-will-save-you-money-down-the-line-says-new-study-from-mtu.html 3D printing at home will save you money down the line, says new study from MTU ] - 3Ders, [https://www.longroom.com/discussion/326090/3d-printing-at-home-will-save-you-money-down-the-line-says-new-study-from-mtu Longroom], [http://www.stlfinder.com/blog/3d-printing-at-home-will-save-you-money-down-the-line-says-new-study-from-mtu STL finder]
 * [http://insights.globalspec.com/article/4213/license-to-print-money-at-home License to Print Money at Home?]- Engineering360 IEEE GlobalSpec
 *[http://www.oneangrygamer.net/2017/02/report-indicates-that-3d-printing-can-save-consumers-up-to-4-million/23959/ Report Indicates That 3D Printing Can Save Consumers Up To $4 Million]-One Angry Gamer