01.jpg (79.85 KB. 634x322 - viewed 3 times.) 02.jpg (82.79 KB. 634x438 - viewed 3 times.)Factory in a box: The Thing-O-Matic is limited to making small plastic objects but future versions of the gadget may be able to create objects with metal and plastic
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Now, you can simply manufacture your very own dishwasher knob. And bath plugs, drink bottles, spectacle frames, shin pads, helmets and even action figures.
It’s all thanks to the Thing-O-Matic, a ‘factory in a box’ that claims to create any three-dimensional object out of plastic in a matter of minutes.
The machine, which was unveiled at a trade fair in Las Vegas this week, aims to make manufacturing more a kitchen table affair.
And with 3,000 said to have been sold already, it could soon be making an impact in a household near you. The first version of the Thing-O-Matic, which costs £790, is limited to making small plastic objects. But its creators say future models could combine plastic with metals – allowing them to make electronic gadgets at the push of a button.
Bre Pettis, the chief executive of New York-based Makerbot Industries, the company behind the Thing-O-Matic, said: ‘We want to democratise manufacturing.’
The machine can make any plastic shape measuring up to six inches by six inches by seven inches. It can’t cope with hinges but can produce boxes with lids, tubes or detailed action figures. Users must first create or download a 3D image on their PC using special software. Up to 5,000 designs are available on the firm’s website.
The virtual design is then transferred to the Thing-O-Matic by a standard computer cable.
It heats strands of plastic to 200c and squirts them onto a platform inside the machine, building up objects layer by layer.
Any excess plastic is cleaned away using a chemical bath and the finished object is ejected. A bottle opener, spat out at the trade fair in Las Vegas, took about 30 minutes to make.
The machine works with three types of plastic: ABS - the hard, lightweight plastic used to make Lego bricks and recorders; high density polyethylene (HDPE) used to make watering cans, plastic bags and folding chairs, and corn-based biodegradable plastic.
Mr Pettis said as well as making new things, the Thing-O-Matic was useful for household repairs. Owners simply take a measurement of the broken part, make a computer model and manufacture it. One householder used his Thing-O-Matic to make shower curtain rings when his local shop had run out.
It can even be used to make spare parts for itself.
But the first challenge is to build the Thing-O-Matic. It comes as a kit and is said to take about 12 hours to put together. Or as Mr Pettis said hopefully: ‘You can make this if you’re comfortable making Ikea furniture.’
