Last Saturday saw the silent launch of a new service dedicated to helping you find inexpensive ways to 3D print. Four-person startup Azavy is a kind of network between Consumers, Designers and Makers.

Designers will be able to sell their designs on Azavy to Consumers, who can shop among a variety of themes and designer showcases. Makers will produce the actual 3D prints through a bidding process to determine the best fit with the requester.

By making use of otherwise idle Maker machines, Azavy hopes to dramatically reduce the cost of 3D printing for consumers, perhaps by as much as a factor of six. This provides a means for Makers to make some cash, consumers to get inexpensive 3D prints and designers to find markets for their products.

One question we pondered was how to maintain quality control when the production is crowdsourced. We posed that question to Azavy spokesperson Michael Anderson, who explained that they will have a method of qualifying Makers who wish to participate.