Ponoko does 3D

So that’s totally k for cool. Will definitely have to have a play with that at some point – largely for creating DSLR camera parts which are otherwise extortionately priced. It just so happens that I have a little project on the go right now, which could do with some 3D stuff.

The big stick-in-the-mud (for me, now) is turnaround time. It used to be postage-costs, but for some reason I don’t notice those anymore. Maybe they’ve changed… but in engineering circles, it seems that turnaround seems to be a minimum of 10 days… this is too slow. It’s quicker to use bits of wood and aluminum in your own basement… and the “rapid”-fabrication part of the prototyping process is used for later iterations… so it’s not quite as straightforward as “design on laptop-> get it made“. It’s more like “get the physics and geometry sorted out with stuff you have to hand->tidy design in laptop -> get it made“.

Then -> release for sale on the web -> if something sells (most things don’t) get a traditional non-web company to make it in bulk. Maybe that could be Ponoko’s next step – connecting with manufacturing geniuses in China.

Anyway – as far as laser-cutting goes, Ponoko’s pricing model works well for some things, not for others – to be specific, they charge by the time that the laser sits on the page – so fast things like plastic, wood, cardboard: good ; things like metal: NSG. It’ll be interesting to see how pricing pans out for 3D stuff.

Totally cool about model they’ve developed though – the distributed manufacturing all coming through a single-hub thing. They do seem to be several steps ahead – focusing on big-picture stuff. I can’t wait for their first DMCA takedown notice… which I guess will create a killer-niche for a dark-web of manufacturing. A shadow-web of fabbers who will make whatever you like, and people who think that “Intellectual Property” has any basis in reality, can go fuck themselves.

Ignoring that for the mo – I saw that someone recently hacked a laser into a makerbot… with a photo that… um… how come you can see the laser from the side?

Whatever – seems to work… although the laser isn’t strong enough to do anything terribly useful. I’ve long opined that this needs to be a way for repraps to go… the ability to cut as well as build.