Re: [rp-ml] Fab@Home

From: Ian Gibson (mpegi@nus.edu.sg)
Date: Wed Jan 17 2007 - 04:00:00 EET


Adrian

I don't really think dot matrix printers were extensively used in the
home by anyone other than the hobbyist/enthusiast. In the UK, I think
it was Canon with their bubblejet printers that really exploded the
market, and their output was much better than the average book
printing because of the ability to integrate graphics with text. Dot
matrix did perhaps contribute in terms of demonstrating there was a
potential market (see my previous rp-ml comment about the power of
toys). However, the technology no longer exists (see my previous
comment about waiting for the big boys), need I say more?

I read the blog with interest - looks like you're doing some good
work. A question though, how does the mechanical properties of your
PCL match up to the ABS or PPSF?

IG

At 18:56 16/01/2007, you wrote:
>Ian Gibson wrote:
>
>>seen what existing RP can do. Just look at how printing technology
>>migrated into the home. Therefore, their approach should be based
>>on a volume fabrication process that doesn't compromise on quality.
>
>But printing technology migrated into the home with the dot-matrix
>printer; compare the output of one of those with a
>commercially-printed book of the same era!
>
>And I don't think we have to compromise that much on quality. The
>prototype RepRap is already almost as good as a commercial FDM
>machine. See Vik Olliver's RepRap blog for Saturday, January 06,
>2007 at http://reprap.blogspot.com/ (click on the image to get one
>big enough to see what's going on).
>
>Yours
>
>Adrian
>
>http://staff.bath.ac.uk/ensab
>http://reprap.org
>

Dr. Ian Gibson
Associate Prof.
Dept. Mechanical Engineering
National University of Singapore

tel: +65 9277 7343



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