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by niels_olson 3585 days ago
Surely design files can be signed...
1 comments

Sure... but then there is the problem of the end user.

Is there 3D printer correctly calibrated? will miscalibration effect its end use? how can you test to make sure the printed design is working as intended?

Can the printed plastic withstand direct sunlight for days on end? Some printed plastics become brittle over time in sunlight (PLA for instance).

When the difference is $1 vs $600, I think a lot of people would be willing to take that risk, especially for something that is basically an unexpected expense; I doubt any allergic people are getting stung by bees on purpose.

Most people I know couldn't handle a sudden $600 expense like a car repair without help from someone like their parents (I'm mid-20s living in JP).

> When the difference is $1 vs $600, I think a lot of people would be willing to take that risk, especially for something that is basically an unexpected expense; I doubt any allergic people are getting stung by bees on purpose.

What probabilities are you assigning to needing the printed epipen to survive, and to it functioning correctly, such that it's worth that risk?

I get where you're coming from. I guess my point was that to most people $600 might as well be $6,000 or $6,000,000, since that's not something they can afford on their own. At that point, the dollar version is (hopefully) better than nothing.