The all-in-one factory

摘要

3D Printers are about to get an upgrade. The latest not only prints objects, it can cut and etch them too, making it far more versatile. The Microfactory is a portable, self-contained machine just a little larger than an average desktop 3D printer. As well as the standard printing equipment, it contains a series of milling and printing heads that can cut and etch plastics, hardwoods and some light metals. Its creator, Massachusetts-based start-up Mebotics, describes it as the "world's first machine shop in a box".