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The UPS Store Will 3-D Print Stuff For You

Posted by samzenpus on from the quick-print dept.

mpicpp writes with news that UPS will be expanding their 3D printing services. UPS announced plans Monday to bring in-store 3-D-printing services to nearly 100 stores across the country, billing itself as the first national retailer to do so. With the UPS system, customers can submit their own designs for objects like product prototypes, engineering parts and architectural models that are then printed on a professional-quality 3-D printer made by Stratasys. Prices vary depending on the complexity of the object; an iPhone case would be about $60, while a replica femur bone would be around $325. UPS can also connect customers with outside professionals who charge an hourly rate to help produce a design file for the printer. It generally takes about four or five hours to print a simple object, with more complex items taking a day or more. The program started as a pilot at six locations last year, and UPS says those stores "saw demand for 3-D print continuing to increase across a broad spectrum of customers."

2 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. So in the future ... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Instead of ordering stuff from a supplier and having UPS ship it half-way across the country, they'll just make it at their nearest location and drop it off. Give it 20 years - this is the way of the future.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    1. Re:So in the future ... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's already being used for items like old tail-lights, that cost too much from suppliers because of scarcity.

      As with everything, economies of scale and increases in technology will bring the per-unit cost down.

      When a body shop has the choice between ordering a whole assembly for $250, or printing up just the cracked lens that the dealer won't sell them separately for $50, they'll print to order.

      Replacement parts, where the OEM won't sell just the tiny plastic gear (you need to buy the whole fuser unit) are a good example. Switch housing got cracked? Sorry, we don't sell just that ... No, we only sell that in mininum quantities of 4. New knob? Sorry, you have to buy the whole timer.

      This will allow for a lot of "unbundling", and could result in a revival of do-it-yourself repairs. And less waste.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.