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Why we didn't have 3d printers before?
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Mr. Scram:
Time to do a Kickstarter on a pyramid of Geezer. Twice as big as the Giza one!
nctnico:

--- Quote from: c64 on February 15, 2020, 08:00:36 am ---There is nothing complicated in the construction of a cheap 3d printer. Electronics is simple as well. We could already make them easily in the late 80s. Why?

--- End quote ---
Cost of hardware (both mechanical parts and electronics). I paid over 500 euro in today's money for the totally crap plotter shown in this video:

The one shown in the video works way better (less play in the pen moving head) compared to the one I had. Being able to buy cheap mechanical parts directly from China has lowered prices of components and materials considerably.
beanflying:

--- Quote from: Domagoj T on February 15, 2020, 04:51:43 pm ---
--- Quote from: beanflying on February 15, 2020, 04:30:51 pm ---it could be done in the 80's but the cost in time would be horrid and very limited but it could be done 'technically' but maybe not 'practically'.
--- End quote ---
The topic of the thread is not why there were no 3D printers. It's why there were no cheap 3D printers.

--- End quote ---

If you want to play semantics then the OP asked about 'cheap printers' in the opening post he did not ask about software or costs in time to make that printer work.

The board I showed above was btw in response to a post about the advent of micros in the mid to late 90's and was just one I had in a box close at hand.
MyHeadHz:

--- Quote from: Mr. Scram on February 15, 2020, 05:07:10 pm ---
--- Quote from: c64 on February 15, 2020, 08:00:36 am ---There is nothing complicated in the construction of a cheap 3d printer. Electronics is simple as well. We could already make them easily in the late 80s. Why?

--- End quote ---
Patents. It's as simple as that.

--- End quote ---

Yep.  The patent holders refused to develop or license it (in any meaningful way), which is really unfortunate.  It was quite clear with the original makerbot that they were doing it simply because they would finally be allowed to legally, due to expiring patents.  The whole idea of buying or holding on to patents specifically to kill innovation needs to end.  There needs to be some exception to patent law to where a company must either use the technology the technology in a meaningful way (to a given market segment) or license it in a meaningful way, otherwise it causes some default codified licensing/royalty scheme- even if the patent-holder doesn't like it (license it, or we will for you).  There are some limited exceptions already, but they obviously fall short.  There must be some happy medium in there somewhere.
Domagoj T:

--- Quote from: beanflying on February 15, 2020, 05:25:00 pm ---If you want to play semantics then the OP asked about 'cheap printers' in the opening post he did not ask about software or costs in time to make that printer work.

--- End quote ---
Why would you separate the cost of the machine from the cost of developing and using the software necessary to run that machine? One is useless without the other.
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