Last year, we asked, “Will There Be a Desktop Manufacturing Revolution outside of 3D Printing?” We looked at desktop mills, CNC, and devices such as the Carvera. There, we thought this revolution would occur, but certain factors were holding back the broader desktop manufacturing revolution. We pointed out that there is no Cura or RepRap project, the media is not interested, and Kickstarter is less buzzy than before. There has been little development on open-source G-code and other tools for open-source machining. A machining RepRap project has not emerged. At the time, the ecosystem simply lacked the shared software, standards, and cultural momentum that once fueled desktop 3D printing. But one thing has changed, and that is Kickstarter.

Featured image courtesy of Snapmaker: The Snapmaker U1 Color 3D Printer