Is anyone aware of a someplace that offers "3D-printing" of part prototypes to the public. Just imagine the possibility for the scale modeler! You send them a CAD drawing of the part, they send you back the part.

http://www.zcorp.com/products/printersdetail.asp?ID=1

http://www.zcorp.com/products/printe...seven.asp?id=1

You KNOW I want one of these!!!

All well and good untill you hear the cost. It may be less now but a couple years ago I did some parts where I used to work and a handfull sized part was $300. If you want to make a molded part it would be good . That's what it does best.

There are several type of rapid prototyping machines. One type uses an epoxy that is UV hardened and uses a laser for the UV. Another squirts a tiny stream of ABS plastic. Another used the layered paper concept. There are others too that are quite new.

$20,000 for the unit plus materials. $5000 for the 3d cad plus yearly maintenance, just for starters.

Yeah. I know. But it's fun to dream of what may be available in the not so distant future. Why, hell, we won't even have to BUILD models anymore --- just draw up the CAD plans and print out the model!

There are a few vendors that have on-line pricing so you could submit a file for quote. The cost has some down somewhat and depends mostly on "time in the tank" which is based on part volume (actual material volume, not including air spaces) and desired accuracy. I've bought some "finger sized" parts (through work) that are under $100. Usually you need to provide a CAD model in a 3D format such as STL (a tesselated output from your CAD system) or one of the more common "editable" formats such as Parasolids (i.e., Solidworks, SolidEdge), ACIS (AutoCAD 3D - I think) and I'm sure ProE. Having someone build the 3D CAD model for you would add $. Also, depending on the process used, the material properties vary. The traditional photocured parts are brittle - suitable for casting but not hard use without reinforcing. Some of the newer fused deposition processes using, for ABS for example, might have more utility but maybe less accuracy. If you can make the CAD model, I've found the best candidates are complicated little parts that are hard to make other ways, that don't have super-high precision or strength requirements.