Personal Fabrication

[Micah]

I was listening to NPR today and they had a really fascinating discussion on this new thing called a Fab Lab. (Listen to the Interview here)

The discussion got a little above my head and I'm not entirely clear what the devil it is but it sounds like (and is described as) the precurser to a Star Trek style replicator.

Being that we're all DIYers and tinkerers I thought the folks here would get a kick out of this.

Here's a link to the guys book as well - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/046502745...glance&n=283155

 

[electron]

I have heard about this sometime last year, this really is cool stuff!

 

[Squintz]

Me also, But listening to these guys makes it sound like Fag Lab. This guy sounds like one of the FAB 5. But there was an article a while back in a magazine that I read.

 

[huggy59]

Here's more info about it. It's called stereolithography, and it's been around for years. Industries use the resin-cured systems to create prototypes that can then be used to create a mold, etc. Even the milling machine that Orange County Choppers uses for custom parts and wheel machining is in this group. Want one on your desk? It's just another (expensive) peripheral, like a printer or plotter... hehehe

http://www.ennex.com/~fabbers/publish/1997...inDirection.asp

http://www.wohlersassociates.com/mr.html


I'll take one! Starting at only $12,900 or so...

 

[TonyNo]

Adding, here is the site of a company that produces models like SLA's, but in color! They have a video that shows the printer running, but you don't get to see that much. There is a nice sample page of things they have printed.

 

[JohnWPB]

It is a pretty kewl technology! I saw an interview/test of the system on TV a few weeks back. They laser scanned an Oscar trophy in New York, emailed it to LA and printed it out in full scale and color.

Squintz said:

listening to these guys makes it sound like Fag Lab. This guy sounds like one of the FAB 5

Shew Squintz... that was kinda' harsh. My mottow is live and let live, the last thing we want to do on this board is to offend someone.