$2 3D printer? Boss, come to a thousand
The title "Metal 3D printer" recently went viral online, with some claiming it's "a $2 metal printer." At first glance, I thought it was just hype. The most expensive thing I've ever bought for $2 abroad is from a Dollar Store—where everything costs around $1 to $2. Could I really buy a metal 3D printer there and take it home?
From what I know, industrial-grade metal 3D printers are quite mature. They typically use metal powder combined with a high-energy laser to melt and solidify the material. These systems, like SLM (Selective Laser Melting), require powerful lasers and precise positioning of both the powder and the laser head. Most of these machines are made by major companies in the US and Germany, and they come with a hefty price tag. There are also low-end options, like a technique my friend from the US mentioned during a visit to SZDIY. It involved melting metal at high temperatures and forming it through welding. But the results I saw looked rough—like something you’d expect from a cheap DIY project.
When I think about electroplating, I usually associate it with surface finishing—making dull objects shiny and selling them at a premium. But this article surprised me. An Argentine guy took a creative approach, using electroplating as a method of 3D printing. He filled a large pen with an electrolyte solution, placed an anode inside, and used a printed metal panel as a cathode. A CNC-like device then touched the pen to the panel, creating an electrochemical reaction that deposited metal onto the plate. The video he shared showed a pen holding the electrolyte, which then plated metal onto a rotating disk below.
The result looked pretty rough, and the rotating disk gave off an odd vibe. I can imagine several issues with this prototype. First, using such a large panel as a cathode would lead to high resistance and significant power loss. Second, and more importantly, electroplating is extremely slow. In industrial settings, only a few tens of microns of metal can be plated per minute. This method is likely even slower than our regular plastic 3D printers. Overall, this isn’t practical yet.
That said, the concept has some promising aspects. First, in theory, electroplating could achieve high precision if the contact points between the electrolyte and the cathode are controlled. The accuracy might even match current industrial standards. Second, the setup is simple—just a power supply and an electrolyte solution. This makes it much cheaper and safer than welding-based methods. Third, different electrolytes can be used to print various metals, including stainless steel, copper, gold, silver, nickel, and even plastics like PP and PVC.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to speed up this prototype, but I haven’t found a good solution. The main issue is that the design only has one electrolyte outlet, and the accuracy depends on that single point. So, increasing speed would reduce precision, and vice versa. Adding multiple electrodes would complicate control, which isn't ideal. Also, the pen in the prototype only moves vertically. If the liquid flow could be controlled better, the pen could spray the electrolyte from different angles—a big improvement.
Finally, I believe the $2 refers to the cost of the pen itself. If anyone actually believes that $2 can be a 3D printer, I’d love to place an order for a thousand of them. But I doubt it will work. This idea is still very much in the experimental stage, and while it’s creative, it’s far from being a real alternative to existing metal 3D printing technologies.
Mianyang Shengshi Health Technology Co.,Ltd , https://www.shengshiaminoacid.com