> All the pieces existed to make a working 3D printer existed even in 1970! and relatively cheaply. So why has it taken so long for 3D home printing to actually become a thing?
Easy. The printing process itself is not that hard.
It's the model _design_ that is tricky. We needed home computers to become powerful enough to run 3D CAD software, and enough people to get proficient with it.
RepRap started in 2005. Realistically, we could have had it maybe a few years earlier. But not _much_ earlier.
Easy. The printing process itself is not that hard.
It's the model _design_ that is tricky. We needed home computers to become powerful enough to run 3D CAD software, and enough people to get proficient with it.
RepRap started in 2005. Realistically, we could have had it maybe a few years earlier. But not _much_ earlier.