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I used to teach at a school.
We bought an expensive 3d printer.
It was nice and all.
But what really bothered me,
was that the printing material was very expensive.
I am absolutely convinced, that the manufacturers,
cannot make a bigger mistake, than to make the printing material expensive.
They should go the opposite route.
Make using their products super easy and effective.
Make using their printer a no-brainer.
Every time people print.
They are advertising the printer.
Whoever is doing the 3d printing,
is getting to know that printer.
Learning how to use it
Getting used to using it.
Getting ideas on how to use it further.
Nobody wants a printer that can barely be used anyways.
The manufacturers were doing the cash-it-in-and-run.. approach.
But they should have been doing the, take-over-the-universe.. approach.
Which is to make their products absolutely awesome.
People will see how the world is, eventually.
And 3d printing really should be done in some specialized offices.
A place with a 3d printer.
And some individual who knows how to operate it.
And people just go on a website,
And send a file and press "print"
And result can be delivered in the mail.
Prefereably via drone.
An office like that could provide the world with 3d printing abilities.
Could eventually offer the world to print in any material etc.
You just draw it in some program.
Select material.
Press print.
Few days later, its in your mailbox.
How is that not a win.
And user could watch on camera as their unit is being printed.
And why dont we have automated drone delivery yet.
Whats taking so long.
But it seems to take forever to take off.
This 3d printing thing.
Like everything.
Last edited by offtherock (2025-09-28 03:43:36)
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Its in the manufacturers short term interest.
for its printer to be printing with material
only they or their partners can make.
and is then sold expensively.
so its in their short term interest.
to kill their own future.
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This post in Louis' 3D Printers topic is about the interesting challenge posed by Calliban in late 2025.
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 62#p235662
Calliban has proposed a 200 meter diameter brick dome for Mars. This topic is about how a 3D printer design tool might create specifications for custom made wedge shaped "bricks" that would be assembled to create the strong structure that calliban has described.
Given a shape for the dome, and a thickness, it would be possible for a 3D printer design tool (such as Blender but there are many) to create wedge shaped specifications for each "brick" to be laid to build the structure, from the foundation far below ground, all the way to the peak.
Since domes of this type would be assembled all over Mars, once the first one is complete and proven, it would make sense to mass produce the unique shapes needed. Each "brick" would be wedge shaped, both in the Y dimension and in the Z dimension, so that the force of gravity acting downward, and the force of internal pressure acting upward, and caused to flow evenly throughout the structure.
I'd like to invite any readers of this forum who are learning how to use 3D Printers (or who already know and are interested in this problem) to contact us to see if we might be a suitable venue for their creativity.
This initiative is a part of Louis' Sagan City concept.
The proposed dome could most definitely be printed on Earth in a miniature form, such as 1:200 scale.
A 1:200 scale 3D printed dome would be 1 meter across. it would be assembled in exactly the same way as the full sized version on Mars.
Wedge shaped "bricks" would be laid on a foundation (such as a table top) and the structure would be assembled layer by layer, just as would be done on Mars by robot "workers".
3D Printer designs could be published by NewMars (in association with the Mars Society) so that prospective builders could simply download the plans and feed them into their 3D design tool.
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This post is inspired by an email received by NewMars.com/forums, from a gent in Mexico who appears to be working on design of advanced turbine devices. It occurred to me that such complex shapes might be ideal for 3D Printing.
We have only one member of the forum who owns and operates a 3D printer, but many members share knowledgeable about 3D printing in general, and metal 3D printing in particular.
To see examples of designs that might be rendered with 3D printing, you can visit the link in the post below:
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 19#p236919
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Serendix and JR West build Japan’s first 3D printed railway station overnight
https://www.voxelmatters.com/serendix-a … overnight/
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This post is about a 3D printer able to print unlimited objects in the Z dimension.
I just learned about this printer yesterday, and today I find that it has been discontinued.
CR-30 3D Printer
Creality CR-30, Batch Print Models, Infinite Z-Axis for Long Model Production, Up to 200-hour Continuous Operation without Malfunction, Stable Core-XY Structure
14 reviews
$599.00
$949.00
Save $350.00Earn 119 points. ≈ US $12
Note：The CR-30 3D Printer is currently out of stock and will not be restocked.
We apologize for the inconvenience. Please visit our Ender-5 Max to explore if it suit your needs. Thank you for your understanding!
Batch Print Models
Infinite Z-axis Printing
Durable Operation with Stability
Intelligent Protection System
Sturdy Structure for Precision Printing
Dual-gear Metal Extrusion System
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A 3D printer with unlimited Z would be helpful for creating long objects such as ribs of wings for model even small aircraft.
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This post is about the manufacturer of a kind of 3D Printer that is capable of printing in the Z dimension without the usual limits.
The company is (apparently) located in the Netherlands, and (apparently) it may have been inspiration for Crealty's version of the belt printer that is now discontinued.
This kind of printer is of interest for manufacture of the ribs for a wing that kbd512 is in the process of learning how to design.
Blackbelt 3D: world-leading conveyor belt 3D printing ...
BlackBelt 3D
https://blackbelt-3d.comJun 26, 2024 — Blackbelt 3D's endless belt 3D printing technology empowers you to create complex designs with the precision that only a conveyor belt system can offer.
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The Blackbelt 3D printer is a type of 3D printer using fused ...Download area
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Blackbelt 3D Printer — STANDARD PRINT CO.STANDARD PRINT CO.
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The BLACKBELT 3D printer truly bridges the gap between rapid prototyping and low-volume manufacturing. Open Build Volume - 340mm x 340mm x ∞ mmRead more
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Blackbelt 3D BV ; WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE - 3D printed by BLACKBELT 3D. 4.4K views ; Burj Khalifa - Blackbelt 3D. 767 views ; BLACKBELT collaborations. 502 views.Read more
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Jan 17, 2025 — Our first belt printer example is the famous Blackbelt, the pioneer of belt FDM 3D printing. It was produced by Blackbelt 3D, a Dutch ...Read more
BlackBelt 3D BV The BLACKBELT 3D PrinterTreatstock
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The BLACKBELT 3D Printer is a unique machine that thanks to it roller table enable to manufacture rows of objects and/or very long parts.Read moreConveyor Belt 3D Printers - Are they a viable design or just ...
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The exception being the Blackbelt 3D printer. The Blackbelt can print super high quality parts but it cost 10k+ so it's slightly out of my price...Read more
Fabrication Friday - Blackbelt 3D - Continuous and Infinite 3D ...YouTube · Ascent Fabrication
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3D printing...on a conveyor belt?! That's what the Blackbelt 3D printer has perfected - continuous and infinite additive manufacturing on an ...
$10,000 would definitely be out of range for me as well.
However, if kbd512 were to design an aircraft wing that could be made using 3D printing, and if a buyer were found, then this certainly looks like a candidate to be considered for the job.
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This post is about 3D printing of an earthquake proof ??? house in Japan.
The structure was created in 14 days, using a large overhead crane.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/07/business … wtab-en-us
Marketplace Asia
Business
5 min read
This startup built Japan’s first 3D-printed two-story home. It wants to solve the country’s construction crisis
By
Rebecca Cairns
May 7, 2026“Stealth House” is Japan’s first 3D-printed two-story home.
ONOCOM Co., Ltd
Japan’s construction industry is facing a productivity crisis, as soaring material costs and an aging workforce threaten the future of the nation’s $625 billion sector.
But an earthquake-proof 3D-printed house is giving hope that additive manufacturing could be the answer.
Unveiled in February, “Stealth House” is Japan’s first 3D-printed two-story home. Building-tech startup Kizuki collaborated with more than 20 companies, including ONOCOM to create the home, which meets strict building codes for seismic design in a country where earthquakes are common.
“It marked the first time in Japan that a full process — from feeding design data directly to the printer, to continuous on-site construction, and finally finishing works — was successfully realized at a two-story residential scale,” Rika Igarashi, Kizuki CEO, told CNN in an email.
Unveiled in February, “Stealth House” is Japan’s first 3D-printed two-story home. Kizuki Co. Ltd
Inspired by natural cave formations, the 6-meter (20-feet) tall, 50-square-meter (538-square-foot) house took just 14 days to print on site — from foundation to rooftop parapet — using a giant gantry printer, says Igarashi. The exterior walls employed a “hollow structure” filled with a reinforced concrete frame to meet building codes.
3D-printed construction (3DPC) technology has long been heralded for its ability to save time, reduce labor, increase safety at work sites, and substantially cut material waste, while enabling more flexible and unusual designs.
But governments and institutions have been cautious around new construction innovations, and slow to update regulations, creating a barrier to adoption.
Kizuki’s “Stealth House” is more than a demonstration, though: the home, in Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture, sold (for an undisclosed price), which the company says is proof that there is demand.
The house takes inspiration from natural cave formations for its design.
ONOCOM Co., Ltd
The home features a kitchen designed by Spacewasp, and interior design by Sekisaisha.ONOCOM Co., Ltd
Labor shortage solutionJapan’s falling birthrates and aging workforce have seen its productive population decline: in the construction sector, according to some calculations, 1.5 million skilled workers (45% of the total) are expected to retire within the next decade.
Daisuke Katano, a managing partner at Japanese construction consultancy firm YCP, says that 3D printing can combine “up to seven traditional on-site trades.” This can streamline coordination and bolster Japan’s productivity in residential construction — which is less than half the US level and has barely improved in decades, says Katano: “Recovering even five to 10 of those (percentage) points would be worth trillions of yen (billions of dollars) in unlocked output capacity.”
Printing the house on-site took 14 days.
ONOCOM Co., LtdCurrently, civil infrastructure — such as the world’s first 3D-printed train station, or a 273-meter (896-foot) road — accounts for around 62% of 3DPC applications in Japan.
But other markets, like entry-level and disaster-recovery housing, are growing: Katano points to Japanese construction startup Serendix’s 3D-printed budget bungalows, which were deployed to provide quick and affordable housing in the aftermath of a 7.5 magnitude quake in Noto Peninsula in 2024.
Kizuki is also looking at opportunities to supply housing in depopulated and remote regions, which it presented to representatives from seven municipalities at the SusHi Tech conference in Tokyo last week, one of Asia’s largest global innovation events.
“Even in areas with severe shortages of skilled workers, 3DCP makes it possible for a small team of operators to construct high-quality buildings,” says Igarashi. “In that sense, the technology has the potential to directly address regional disparities in housing supply.”
Financing fears
Despite the high upfront costs for 3DPC equipment, Igarashi says the main challenges to adoption are “increasingly institutional rather than technological.”
“From a regulatory perspective, compliance is currently confirmed through individual building approval applications on a case-by-case basis,” she says. “For wider adoption and greater efficiency, dedicated technical standards and regulatory frameworks built around 3DCP methods will be necessary.”
Tetsuya Ishida, a civil engineering professor at the University of Tokyo, agrees: standardized evaluation methods — such as technical guidelines recently developed by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers — need to be adopted to reduce bureaucracy.
The exterior walls employed a “hollow structure” filled with a reinforced concrete frame.
ONOCOM Co., Ltd“While regulators have historically been cautious, the tide is changing significantly,” says Ishida. He highlights the inclusion of 3D printing in the government’s “New Technology Introduction Promotion Plan,” as well as the precedent set by “Stealth House” as key steps to make future approval processes “dramatically smoother.”
While Katano at YCP agrees that “Stealth House” helps to give 3D-printed homes more credibility, “the risks relative to conventional construction remain substantial” for investors, including a lack of long-term durability data, uncertainty over the resale of these properties, and caution from insurers.
Additionally, one of Japan’s most common long-term mortgages requires a minimum 70-square-meter (753-square-feet) floor area for detached houses, which “excludes most current units from standard financing,” says Katano.
“(That) confines the buyer pool largely to cash purchasers and retirees, until either the products grow or the financing rules adapt,” he adds.
An automated ecosystemStartup Kizuki collaborated with more than 20 companies, including ONOCOM, to build the house.
ONOCOM Co., Ltd
Japan has invested heavily in automated construction since the 1980s, and launched the “i-Construction” initiative in 2015 — a collaboration between government and private sector to digitize the sector and integrate IT solutions into construction machinery. In 2024, the initiative was extended into a second phase, targeting a 30% labor reduction by 2040.
“3DPC plays a crucial role here as a technology that directly materializes digital data into physical space,” says Ishida. These technologies could also attract young talent to the sector, transforming construction from a “demanding, dirty, and dangerous” job into a “creative, cool and challenging” one, he adds.
Related article
1_ Credits_ Karolina Pajak, Sika Group Switzerland.jpg
Masoud AkbarzadehAlthough 3DPC can’t close the productivity gap on its own, Katano says that in combination with other technologies — such as prefabrication (a $26-billion market in Japan in 2025, according to YCP), AI-driven design, and autonomous heavy equipment — there are potential productivity gains of up to 40% by 2030.
Meanwhile, Kizuki is working on creating a “3DPC Academy,” which it plans to launch later this year, to train operators for a future where 3D printing will be the new normal.“Construction tech — especially 3DCP — is still often perceived as something almost futuristic, even science-fiction-like,” says Igarashi. “It is only when people see real construction footage, hear the story behind it, and engage in direct conversation that they begin to recognize it as a real business.”
Additional reporting by Junko Ogura and Ayuka Nitta.
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