/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>635257
>>How hard is it to set up a 3d printer and start making things with it?
Well as the saying goes in the industry, "it ain't a microwave oven"

'3d printers,' even professional ones, require constant upkeep and recalibration to keep them working. Even more so for cheap 3d printers. $500 is considered cheap.

>>635337
>>3D printers are not for manufacturing, they are for prototyping
Well the true 3d printers that use the Z-corp patented '3d printing process,' are.

Most other additive manufacturing systems like FDM, laser sintering(don't call it selective), stereolithography are used to manufacture parts that actually go in things(mostly laser sintering though).

Most airplanes and UAS's have some 3d printed whatsits and thingamabobs in them nowadays, because it's cheaper to print them than to mold them and assemble them. You can also make them lighter, which is a big deal for airplanes, because every bit of weight you remove is money in the bank.


But, it's only cheaper because they typically don't produce many airplanes. Additive manufacturing really excels at producing small volumes of high value components. If you have a high resolution 3d printer, it can even make sense to sell large volumes of small objects.


Now to answer your question OP, what do you want to manufacturer? Is it something that you aren't making much of, but has high value? Is it for a niche market? Is it something small for a niche market? If yes, then it's probably worth it.

People have made money selling products made on hobbyist 3d printers, but they have been for very niche markets. The best example I can think of is a kinect mount, it's a small plastic widget that makes a kinect mountable to a robot.

Also, avoid products that could present liability issues.Your beer mug is a bad idea, because 3d printed plastic isn't quite food safe.