3D Printing Really Is Less Expensive

 

ZCorp issued a press release describing the experience of Converse, the footwear manufacturer using ZCorp technology in their design process. The interesting bit is that they've stated the savings they've found in actual dollars. Here's the results from the press release:

• They "can produce a shoe model in two hours, or nearly 30 times faster than an ABS printer"
• "Eliminate eight annual trips to Asia for design consultations at a cost of up to $12,000 per person for each trip"
• "Cut tooling costs from $350,000 in 2006 to $150,000 in 2008 by using ZPrinted models to winnow designs"
• "Transform the way the company does business by bringing 3D shoe models to key accounts and producing models on demand"
• "New prototypes in hours and cutting weeks off our design cycle"

That sounds like almost $300,000 in concrete expense savings, and an unknown amount of labor savings that could amount to much more. Of course, that's only one side of the equation: what did Converse have to spend to get those savings?

They'd probably have had to do these things:

• Acquire the ZCorp 3D printers
• Design the new work process to efficiently use the printers
• Train staff to use the new process and tools
• Acquire printer consumables as needed

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, and as Bryan Cioffi, Manager of Digital Product Creation says: "the airfare savings alone have more than paid for the machine and materials"

Via ZCorp

Shapeways Lowers Media Pricing

 

Shapeways, the innovative 3D printing service announced they've lowered the pricing on their most popular print media, "White Strong & Flexible". It's now 10% less expensive than before.

This means we can order that Neko Woman for only USD$23.76! Erm.

Coincidentally, Ponoko also recently reduced (albeit temporarily for 24 hours) the price of some of their new materials by 50%. Is this a trend?

Via Shapeways and Ponoko

The Cost of a Wrench

It's apparently USD$49, including USD$14 that was "dissolved away" according to a post at the ChiefDelphi forums. Team222badbrad produced these wrenches on a Dimension 1200es, and the discussion contemplated the price of production.

Poster Leav asked the inevitable question:

"how much would it cost to fill the entire volume of the machine with plastic?... I really would like to hold in my hand a 768ci block knowing that it was made it possibly the most inefficient way possible!"

The answer, according to team222badbrad, is USD$6,000 worth of Dimension ABS. Now that's a paperweight!

UPDATE: team222badbrad contacted us and indicated:

The wording on my posting on chiefdelphi.com is a bit confusing.

 "About $35 a wrench in ABS Plus material and support material. About $14 worth was dissolved away."

What I meant was of that $35 approximately $14 was wasted in scrap support material.

Via ChiefDelphi Forums