The theory is simple: instead of buying a household item or a piece of clothing or some equipment you might use once or twice, you take it out and return it.
The theory is simple: instead of buying a household item or a piece of clothing or some equipment you might use once or twice, you take it out and return it.
A 3D printer
you joke but i think you can 3d print nearly everything in a 3d printer
The Prusa brand printers are printed by their own printer models and sold that way.
https://www.prusa3d.com/en/page/about-us_77/
To wit: RepRap
Having built a number of Repraps, “nearly everything” is highly exaggerated. I have seen 3D printers with an almost entirely printed frame, but using off the shelf T slot rails is a lot more time and cost effective.
It is currently not possible to print the control board, wiring, sensors, hot end, motors, heaters, bearings, slides and rails necessary for a 3D printer. Some of the mechanical parts and a lot of the bracketry that holds the frame together can be 3D printed.