General Question on Opensource and Prusa Printers
Not really any question pointed at anything in particular, just some random thoughts around 'open source' that I know little about.
Prusa printers are opensource, right. Made with 3D printed parts and generally available electronics hardware. I saw that PRusa is backwards integrating into making their own boards or something? The nextruder also seems to have some special parts. Are those parts proprietary (patented or trademarked?). If they are opensource could someone else make those parts? How 'opensource' is a design if you have parts that are not publicly procurable/produceable?
Kind of on that vein, since Prusa is at its core a design firm, with its designs eventually going opensource (right?)? The actual manufacturing is a seperate business function- that they have struggled to meet expectations. To help with the surge and overall production, why not partner with someone to help with the initual surge of orders. If your design is open source, why not partner with companies to make the printer under some kind of agreement for support and such. This way Prusa could get some money from the arangement.
Just a thought. Find a US partner that will build here and get rid of the overseas shipping.