Re:3D Printed iPhone Cases with Open Source files
by jonhohle on Thursday February 27, 2014 @03:36PM
(#7314844)
See the last sentence in my comment. I was attempting to address two points:
1) the designs highlighted on their page do not take advantage of the reasons why 3D printing might be chosen for this application (designs which cannot be manufactured using any other technique). In the examples provided, all could be injection molded _for example_. 2) it would seem that there are cheaper ways to get the customized designs they are building and offering customers by using a reduction process without sacrificing any of the customizability or time to market.
Re:3D Printed iPhone Cases with Open Source files
by Zak on Thursday February 27, 2014 @02:42PM
(#7314460)
I'd be using them if I had an iPhone!
It seems odd to only support one phone given that they're using 3D printing to support a great deal of customization.
Re:3D Printed iPhone Cases with Open Source files
by nickff on Thursday February 27, 2014 @03:09PM
(#7314656)
It seems like the customization is very limited, and will not allow the customer to modify the basic shape of the case. If the company is trying to test a MVP, it makes sense to select the single most popular phone, which happens to be the one with the spendiest customer base.
That is a fundamentally different value proposition for the consumer than injection molding. Any individual design seen here could be recreated with injection molding, but the point of this company isn't to provide you with a cell phone case, it's to provide you with any cell phone case design you want.
That's not something a company doing injection molding could offer. Molds for injection molding cost a minimum of a few grand and usually tens of thousands of dollars. You can't deliver a unique item to each customer with injection molding.
Disclaimer: I know one of the creators, and I have helped give mechanical advice over the past year. I think its a really great product. I'd be using them if I had an iPhone!