Yes: 3D, Under $15K

Is bona-fide personal desktop 3D printing really here? Yes, according to Shane Glenn, director of Investor Relations at Stratasys, speaking of the recently released uPrint from the Dimension 3D Printing Group of the rapid prototyping and manufacturing equipment manufacturer. Yes, he calls it “The world’s first 3D personal printer.

While there may be some definitional quibbles about whether that is indeed the case, here are some data points about the system:

Compared with the previously smallest machine from Dimension, the 768 Series, the uPrint has a 33% smaller footprint: it requires a 4.5-ft² desktop space and is 2.5 ft high, while the 768 requires 7-ft2 and is 3.5 ft is high.

It is lighter: 168 lb. vs. 300 lb for the 768 unit.

It features an 8 x 6 x 6-in. build envelope. Glenn says that this volume accounts for about 80% of all models built.

It uses fused deposition modeling (FDM). It uses Stratasys ABSplus material, which is said to be 40% stronger than the company’s standard ABS.

It is priced at $14,900. Chairman and CEO Scott Crump calls that price a “significant inflection point,” explaining that when 3D CAD hit that level, shipments of software took off. He is hopeful the same happens for the uPrint.

Glenn calls it the “most reliable and serviceable 3D printer to date,” and suggests that most of the service could be handled over the phone and fixed with customer-replaceable parts. However, if more complex service is needed, then North American service calls will be handled by Halifax Corp. (www.hxcorp.com/home/index.asp), which, he points out, does work for office-friendly companies including Hewlett-Packard and Xerox.

Among the potential users they’ve identified: designers, engineers, budget-oriented entrepreneurs, students (from middle school to university), animation artists, consultants, architects, packaging engineers, and home inventors.

One more thing: It runs on 120-volt power. Yes, the sort of thing that you plug all of those other things on your desk in to.