3D printing…

World changing or a flash in the pan?

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/could-a-new-patent-prevent-a-3d-printing-free-for-all/2507

its starting to make an impact in engineering when you can print stuff you could never machine.

It’s not as if you can print yourself an iPod. 🙄

imma print maself a woman!

We have been using it at work (construction company) to make small scale models of projects for prospective clients.

Aren’t Charge Bikes making parts out of it?

It’s not going to stop people using a 3D printer though – only using one to ‘print’ something that has been designed by someone else who doesn’t want it freely shared – for example a bike component if we got to a point where 3D prints were strong enough . In itself, I don’t think that’s particularly unreasonable but IMO it’d be near impossible to practically control.

How many manufacturers will be happy using a 3D printer that sends their design to a 3rd party for authorisation?

I don’t support this.
I do support this.

At the moment 3d printers are a compromise – you can either get a comparatively cheap machine that can only make very small parts, without particularly fine detail, in a limited range of materials, or you can spend 10s or 100s of thousands and make larger, finely detailed parts in materials which *almost* meet all your requirements. The parts produced either way will need cleaning to remove the support structure, final finishing and assembly. You’d also have to obtain the correct material(s), purge the machine between material types or material colours and clean it after use.
Even if the machines do get wider acceptance, I think it will still be a niche/hobbyist activity for a very long time.
I don’t have a problem with companies protecting their copyright, and some sort of DRM is probably inevitable, but can’t imagine what product I would want to copy on a 3D printer in my shed anyway – I’m not sure you could make anything bike-related that would be strong enough right now.

The technolgy might have more applications than rights management – it might for instance be used to try and keep a lid on homemade gun making[/url] in the same way that consumer scanners and printers are set to try and interrupt attempt to scan and print banknotes.

Potentially the most disruptive technology since the Internet was invented.

I think it will still be a niche/hobbyist activity for a very long time.

I disagree, the ability to create product without shipping it half way across the world will accelerate investment in the technology.

I think it will still be a niche/hobbyist activity for a very long time.

I assume your talking about in the home as it’s already incredibly widespread in industry.

If you do mean in the home, then count me as a niche/hobbyist. I want one NOW, although it’s a tough choice between a 3D printer and a CNC router.

You cannot now not even with the best machines availiable create a brand new working & asthetic part.

The best machines can give a material that will behave in a simlar way to the part you intend making, so you could for example test a clip feature with it, the cheaper rapid proto media’s cannot even do that & snap at the first hint of flexing.

The surface quality, is at best rough, you couldnt for example re create a new back for your I phone it would look crap. *

* the best machines I have ever seen was when I worked at Nokia & used for surface models, they were good, but not a part you could use.

This seems to be a gamechanger in terms of price/performance
http://www.mojo3dprinting.com/printers/default.aspx
(£6000+vat)

150k, would get you quite a nice 3d printer with the ability to mix & match 2 different media’s, 1 media is very soft & rubbery, the other is very hard, you can change the ratio to behave in a similar way to different plastics, ie ABS, or PP.

They are small enough to fit in your spare room, if you really fancy one, take a god awful lot of maintenance though..

Edit, cheap that mojo printer..

It’s at the peak of the hype cycle:

Don't Believe the Hype-Graph

We’ve been sending 3D data round the world for years now, so that aspect is not new.
And an injection moulding machine can do in 10 seconds what a 3D printer will take hours to do. With a higher quality end result as tinsy says.

But the way it is getting cheaper & spreading out is exciting, it will bring loads of new approaches. Then again it may just allow people to create more plastic tat.

I want one NOW

What do you want to make with it? Sure, I’d like to have one too, but I don’t have the CAD skills to create the source file for whatever I was going to make, so I’d also need some sort of 3D laser scanner to get the dimensions of a sample component – unless there is a library of 3D files for parts online anywhere?

These guys have just blown the 3D printer world to bits. Proper laser printing down to 25micros all for under 2,000 quid

All those RepRap machines should start printing a dustbin for their machines

Well for work I’d rapid-prototype the early stages of my Remote Control designs. Currently, they get sent from the factory in China by UPS.

Then for play, I’d probably create some textured wall panels for some areas of my house. I’ve seen some good results with building lamps too.

enveetee – oooooh that’s the next hour gone!

Here’s a comparison of printers under $20K – cost, accuracy etc, including the Mojo (not very accurate) and the Formlabs (not much choice of material, apparently) printer:

http://www.additive3d.com/3dpr_cht.htm

All those RepRap machines should start printing a coffin for their machines

Presumably one very small piece at a time.

$149 per litre of Formlabs material. I guess that’s going to add up fast.

– The peak of inflated expectations

-Trough of disillusionment

– Slope of Enlightenment

– Plateau of Productivity

These are all trails at Glentress aren’t they? That route profile is pretty alarming – thats a 3 stops for jelly babies climb.

These guys have just blown the 3D printer world to bits.

But can you eat it?[/url]

– unless there is a library of 3D files for parts online anywhere?

Just answered my own question, there is:

http://www.thingiverse.com/

Internet, I love you.

It is by far an incredible thing, the only limitations to design become the designer. Cy was looking at a very cool (engineering geek cool) bottom bracket which could have been printed. The rover metro had a smaller gearbox than before due to a laser sintered gear, this is the industrial side of 3d printing.
There was a woman in the news a few weeks ago who’d had a new jaw bone printed and inserted. I’m sure she’s pleased………flash in the pan, no, start of something huge, definitely.

They will change the world.

My friend has one for her work and it’s very impressive. Imagine what they’ll be like in another ten or twenty years time….

The possibilities are pretty amazing and most likely piracy will be a huge issue, at least until new business models are developed and implemented.

I think the current battle between the music and film industries and people sharing their products will seem like nothing once these machines become commonplace and the rest of modern industry gets hit with the same issues.

I believe one or a small number of parts are made on a 3d printer for the Mercedes F1 drivetrain.

surely at the moment we are still about here in 3D printers:

The stereo lithography has been going for a very long time (remember it on Tomorrows World) but normal 3D printers have other capabilities as you can use lots of other materials, not just plastics.

I remember when I was at williams a good 7-8 years ago there were literally 10-20 gearbox casings a week being SLA’d for giggles (i think) the office was lined with them

Printed titanium is ace for implants and the guy from EOSint who supplies the machines into our place said in 5 years time it will be ready for prime time till then basically carry on buying machines till we have it perfected

this is the best thing about 3d printing

We’re hoping to get one for the office. here’s a question: is the resin strong enough for, say, a bike light fitting? It wouldn’t need to be structural – just strong enough to cradle the lamp

saw this today

http://blog.objet.com/2012/12/20/my-top-ten-3d-printed-models-of-2012/

pretty cool being able to “print” two materials together.

You cannot now not even with the best machines availiable create a brand new working & asthetic part.

The best machines can give a material that will behave in a simlar way to the part you intend making, so you could for example test a clip feature with it, the cheaper rapid proto media’s cannot even do that & snap at the first hint of flexing.

The surface quality, is at best rough, you couldnt for example re create a new back for your I phone it would look crap. *

* the best machines I have ever seen was when I worked at Nokia & used for surface models, they were good, but not a part you could use.
Had a look on Shapeways lately? The amount of silver, bronze and stainless steel jewellery being made on 3D printers is astonishing.

Yup, I’ve been looking at using 3D printing for bike parts – it’s certainly viable for braze-ons and the like now.

You could make some cracking voodoo dolls with a 3D printer.

Nokia Lumia Case Kits[/url]

Who was saying what about printing phone cases?

My parents got me one of these for Christmas:

3D printed in stainless steel.

We have been using RP in the food industry for fillers with internal routing that would be tricky and time-consuming to fabricate with conventional methods.

The polymer can be bit brittle though and for items that are manhandled for changeovers this can be a problem. Metallic prototyping will be cool but not sure how porus it is at the moment?

Laser-sintered nylon doesn’t seem particularly brittle from the samples I’ve tried. The stainless stuff isn’t porous at all, it has a slightly rough finish like a casting.

Laser-sintered nylon doesn’t seem particularly brittle from the samples I’ve tried. The stainless stuff isn’t porous at all, it has a slightly rough finish like a casting.

Brittle from a “Drop it from waist height” kind of deal. I *may* have knocked the connector of a RP nozzle this way. ( I would have got away with it if it was 316 🙂 )

Reagrding porosity, I am not up-to-date with current tech . Earlier on, there was concern that at higher fluid pressures , there might be problems with integrity. You want a smooth surface too, otherwise you can trap bugs. Exciting stuff though