[PLUG-TALK] Manufacturing via a printer

[Michael Rasmussen]

>> Chaz> That is just too cool.  I might just have to build one of these
>> Chaz> myself.  I have a nephew who uses one of the $20K versions at
>> Chaz> school.  They really are amazing machines.
>> Larry> They believe that you should be able to build one for about
>> Larry> $400, provided you have the mental and mechanical ability to do
>> Larry> it.
>> Russell> Yeah, but how much is the toner?

At my last visit to my dentist he proudly showed me his tooth crown printer.  It
takes porcelain blanks and from an interface to his digital camera and produce a
crown.

The cost of the porcelain blank is about the same as the materials he would use in
making molds for the lab. With the device he'll be able to do a crown for someone
in one visit to the office.  He's paying for it with the cost savings of labs
creating the crowns.  It's better for his customers because they can get a crown
in a single visit rather than two or three.

-- 
   Michael Rasmussen, Portland, Ore, USA
  Be Appropriate && Follow Your Curiosity
        http://www.patch.com/words/