3D printing has already made a huge impact in the world of manufacturing and design, but the promised personal/home market has as of yet failed to fully materialise. Dutch startup PRINTR looks to change that, and they have a small tech company that you may have heard of called Microsoft in their corner.
There are a lot of theories as to why the general public hasn’t started buying 3D printers in larger numbers and putting them in every home. Cost seems to be the most popular, and while It is certainly expensive for the general public to buy in, we live in the world of 60 inch TV’s that cost more than a MakerBot Replicator. If people really wanted 3D printers in their homes they would find a way to buy them. No, I think a larger hurdle is the process itself. Home 3D printing for the average consumer is still fussy, complicated and confusing, and until someone simplifies the process the home market will continue to be a niche market.
These are, likely, all hurdles that will eventually be solved. 3D printing is already easier and more convenient that it used to be and innovators will continue to perfect and enhance the process. Enter PRINTR, a Dutch start-up that is looking to create a 3D printing network that will make the process easier for novices looking to find out what all the hype is about while providing a place for enthusiasts and makers to connect socially and earn some extra money by granting PRINTR access to their 3D printers when they aren’t using them. While it’s unclear what role they have played in the development of PRINTR, but with 3D printer drivers being natively integrated into Windows 8 it is clear that Microsoft has faith that 3D printing is here to stay.
And this isn’t just a corporately backed 3D Hubs scheme, PRINTR is thinking outside of the network and focusing on removing the need for people to understand how the 3D printing process works in order for them to have access to it. The average person uses machines every day that they couldn’t fix or tinker with if their lives depended on it, so trying to teach consumers how to build and maintain what essentially needs to be treated as just another home appliance is, let’s face it, a non-starter. PRINTR isn’t just a place for clients to search for local 3D printers, it is promising to actually make owning a 3D printer easier. By connecting your home printer to the PRINTR network, you can control it directly through the websites dashboard, removing the need for learning complicated or buggy native UI’s. They are also planning on releasing a hardware solution that will come pre-loaded with all the 3D printing software that you could ever need and will be compatible on all platforms.
Additionally users without a 3D printer of their own will easily be able to select models from other websites and have them sent off to be printed almost instantly. There will be no need to complicate the process by forcing the user to contact and deal directly with a 3D printer owner. The user can simply send his job directly to a waiting networked printer, and the owner can simply ship off the finished product. Not only does it make the process less complicated, but it makes it faster and more convenient.
Only time will tell if PRINTR will be the breakthrough 3D printing company that brings large numbers of the general public in, but they certainly seem committed to making the process easy and accessible. PRINTR hopes to be up and running by July but is due to open up a BETA today.
3D printer in the home is not a good investment. If you want a specific item that is not available then it is cheaper to buy the design you need and have it printed elsewhere. Too many variables to screw with. Dolls and cups are one thing metal replacement parts are something completely different in the skill level needed to fabricate them. Besides today’s 3D printer for the home are very limited in what they can do. And unless oi want to spend my $ printing dolls cups and other mostly useless stuff it is still cheaper to buy it off eBay or amazon.