Finally, we’re getting closer to a consumer-level 3D Printer. This model, called the Matrix, is made by UK company Mcor and crafts intricate three-dimensional objects using nothing more than cheap sheets of standard A4 paper and glue.

The cost savings over plaster modeling and proprietary media are huge. In the image above, the head comes in at €7.20 ($9.25), the house €1.20 ($1.54), the hand €3.70 ($4.75) and the teeth cost as little as €0.63 (80c). You could probably do even better than this too by using scrap paper and picking up lots of regular PVA when it’s going cheap. Note: You are supposed to use their “proprietary glue”, but seriously, how different can they be? Both are water-based PVA.

The printer seems almost magical, but the process really is quite simple. Starting from the ground up, it feeds a sheet of paper and applies glue to the required areas, as dictated by your design. It feeds another sheet on top and the excess is trimmed away with a tungsten-carbide tipped blade. Compared to a Concrete-Jet 3D Printer, it’s child’s play.

Just because it uses cheap materials, doesn’t mean it produces poorer results, either. According to the company’s PDF, the Matrix has a 2.54 times finer resolution than the current market leader, producing models that look like wood-carvings.

The initial cost of the unit is also supposed to be considerably less than other 3D printers on the market, but not quite at the desktop level just yet…unless you’re loaded.

Front and side view of the Mcor Matrix

Paper and adhesive feeder on the Mcor Matrix

Sources:

Mcor Technologies via Hack A Day and Fabbaloo