Hi Puzzle Builders and Modders,

I just learned that my company TNO built a 3D printer for mass-production. I have already placed a request to do a run of assembled new twisty puzzles.

Oskar

If i understand that right the price won't change if I order 1000 instead of 10 samples. Is that right?

Wow, that's amazing !! I've been waiting for this to come before I join the industry and now it's finally there !! That would be the best option to make a company: no moulding process
How much exactly does this cost ? I might make my own company in the future so I'd really like to know

So it is the same material (nylon) but the process is way faster and less expensive (for big batch)?

Not sure it's nylon, but that would be pretty famn amazing =)

Yeah but one thing is sure, is that if the material is "smoother"would be a "good" thing , .

Based on their video it looks like the FDM printing process. They're probably using ABS or some other thermoplastic.

Shapeways uses SLS for their nylon (WSF) material which is completely different.

, ABS , wow that would be cool.

Drake: ABS is worse than SLS, why would this be good ?

Worst it depends ...

I'm very glad nylon has the properties that it does: flexible, temperature resistant, doesn't blush when bent, etc.

All other things being equal, if Shapeways could somehow offer ABS as an alternative to nylon in their SLS process I'd go for the nylon.

We're still many years away from a 3D printer being able to produce parts that look like they have been injection molded.

Very interesting, Oskar. Does this mean Shapeways will lose some/all of your business? Will TNO be competing with Shapeways? I guess it will focus more on selling to other businesses rather than to consumers, right?

No and no.

TNO is a research organization. They are not competing with Shapeways. Even though they have an SLS machine, they do not accept commercial orders. However, they do collaborative projects with persons and companies focusing on innovation, e.g. introducing 3D-printing into a new sector or industry. For instance, they helped me learning the puzzle possibilities of nylon SLS technology in the pre-Shapeways era.

Shapeways is a service buro, commercially offering 3D-printing services. Shapeways could collaborate with TNO to introduce the new technology to her customers.This could start as a collaborative project, then become outsourced production and finally buying a machine. Most likely, Shapeways would not buy the machine from TNO directly, but from a manufacturer that would build machines based on TNO technology.

Oskar

Oskar, may I ask you what your job is in TNO ?