3D printers are 3-axis robots with an extra motor to push the filament through the nozzle, and thanks to the consumer market, they are getting cheaper by the day, and it is possible to buy a 3D printer for less than C200. If you think about it, these are the most affordable 3-axis robots on the market. Just as an extreme example, if you buy a 3D printer and use it not to print but to move the printing bed back and forth with tubes, liquid cell cultures, and so on, it is way cheaper than any shaker/rocker you can buy. The components of a 3D printer can be separated into mechanical parts and electrical components. All the 3D printers have three linear motion systems. These can be belts, rails, or lead screws, depending on the model. They have at least four stepper motors, two heating elements, two thermistors to control temperatures, three touch switches (end-stops), plenty of screws, nuts, bolts, and all the necessary tools to assemble them. On the electronics part, they have a motherboard, a power unit, and all the cabling for connecting the motherboard to the other components. The 3D printing consumer market has grown so much that you will have a heavier bill if you attempt to buy all the single parts than buying a printer.