The costs of rapid prototyping machines continues to plunge, with the latest being a $2950 machine from Solido. The Solido SD300Pro uses a subtractive process, cutting layers from a sheet of raw material.

What’s not clear from its low sticker price is the true cost of materials; I have a hunch companies are finally aggressively pursuing the inkjet printer business model, losing money on the cost of the printer and making the profit in the raw materials needed to run it. As such, I think the coming few years will be a confusing time for those looking to buy a rapid prototyping machine, as the true cost of ownership will be difficult to figure out.