Kids may get a treat in the future if McDonald's creates happy meal toys with 3-D printers Tech World reported Wednesday.
"We've all been in McDonald's when you've already got that one and you want to swap it and the only ones they've got are the ones you already have," Mark Fabes, IT director of McDonald's in the United Kingdom told Tech World. "(It would be great) if McDonald's could reprint a toy that was no longer being distributed. For me to put that sort of technology in a restaurant I've got to be very sure that people are able to support it and use it."
The concept would re-create Happy Meal toys the company, currently not available so kids can add the final toy of a series to their collection.
The company also hopes to use the method to create kitchen equipment, but its $700 cost is a factor employees are looking to reduce Tech World reported.
"Until now, the cost of 3D printers limited their use to the professional market," Oliver Meakin, Maplin commercial director told Tech World. "However, the Velleman K8200 kit has enabled us to introduce 3D printing to the mass market. We selected this model primarily because it offers high performance printing at an affordable price, making it accessible to our customers. In addition, it requires assembly before use, which fits with the 'build it yourself' ethos so central to Maplin's heritage."
The 8.7 kilogram printer, released in July, has a 60 centimeter by 45 centimeter by 60 centimeter aluminum shape, and is made from a polyactic acid plastic material.
Cartridges are available in black, white, blue, orange, green, yellow, and pink for $29.99. The printer can take up to one cartridge at a time. The appliance can also print items measuring up to 20 centimeters in half an hour at a rate of 120 millimeters a second Tech World reported.
