Early 3D Adopters: Who's Doing 3D Printing?

Corliss feels this 3D printing device really differentiates his company from potential competitors since the barrier to entry is higher. The Dimension 1200es costs more than $30,000 (compared to a hobbyist version for $2,000 or less). It also has a larger build area at 10x10x12˝. "The most common hobbyist model, the Makerbot, has a 125 cubic inch build area," Corliss says. "So my machine is 10 times bigger. That's a big deal. If you're building a small part—say 2x3 cubic inches—I can build 60 to 80 of them at one time."