41–48 of 48 posts
Autodesk, which now builds a 3D SLA printer for about $5000, has been experimenting with chemistries in that area.[1] They give more info about the materials used and the results.
[1] http://www.instructables.com/id/Continuous-Top-Down-DLP-Expe...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
But has its significant limitations, notably that it takes a colossal machine and days to weeks to design, optimize, and machine a mold. Injection molding works great if you want to get to Pluto, but it'll cost you two years, a partnership with NASA, and a thousand tons of LH2 and LOX, and that cost remains constant even you just want to hit the supermarket. Current 3d printers can get you to the grocery store pretty…
Seems like there is a huge opportunity for 3d printing injection molds. It's probably more a tool chain question than an actual 3d printing question. But, by reducing the cost gap from mid-scale 3d printing to full scale production seems like a large potential net win. AKA, if the costs are similar at 10k and drop after that.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
But has its significant limitations, notably that it takes a colossal machine and days to weeks to design, optimize, and machine a mold. Injection molding works great if you want to get to Pluto, but it'll cost you two years, a partnership with NASA, and a thousand tons of LH2 and LOX, and that cost remains constant even you just want to hit the supermarket. Current 3d printers can get you to the grocery store pretty…
Seems like there is a huge opportunity for 3d printing injection molds. It's probably more a tool chain question than an actual 3d printing question. But, by reducing the cost gap from mid-scale 3d printing to full scale production seems like a large potential net win. AKA, if the costs are similar at 10k and drop after that.
Edit: after Reading the comment below, I admit I may be somewhat biased from working with more complex and detailed parts with very right tolerances, so there may be some applications where it is feasible. All the molds I've seen/worked with were made the old fashioned way.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems like there is a huge opportunity for 3d printing injection molds. It's probably more a tool chain question than an actual 3d printing question. But, by reducing the cost gap from mid-scale 3d printing to full scale production seems like a large potential net win. AKA, if the costs are similar at 10k and drop after that.
Injection molds need to be ridiculously precise, as in 1/1000 of an inch of can render it useless. Also, I have doubts that the layered result of 3-D printing can hold up to the extreme abuse these things get put through after tens or even hundreds of thousands of cycles. We are talking about foot thick plates of steel bending and warping from fatigue damage after a while. Even if you could 3-D print the bulk of it,…
If it's reasonably cheap to print, then only lasting say 2,000 cycles would not prevent a useful mid-scale production runs. Also, the high end of 3d printing is a lot tougher and has tighter tolerances than you might think.
http://www.gizmag.com/ge-fires-up-all-3d-printed-jet-einge/3...
Is there any way for this technology to do multi-material or multi-color prints ? how ?
“This is the first 3D printing tech that really has the potential to break out of the prototyping realm that 3D printing has been relegated to until now” Nope. 3D printing has been there for quite a while already: it is being used quite massively in the aerospace industry, and not for prototyping...
examples / links?
That factory will build fuel nozzles for the CFM Leap-1, which combines a core made by GE and a low-pressure section from Snecma. GE is now evaluating a different 3D printing process to build LPT blades for the GE9X – the engine selected to power the Boeing 777X, and the engine maker’s most complex propulsion system yet.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-ge-ponder...
“This is the first 3D printing tech that really has the potential to break out of the prototyping realm that 3D printing has been relegated to until now” Nope. 3D printing has been there for quite a while already: it is being used quite massively in the aerospace industry, and not for prototyping...
Many think of 3D printing taking over low-cost high-volume production. In that area there are real economic and tech hurdles. But, the niche of 3d printing in the aerospace industry (or any low volume, high-cost, high-complexity parts) is akin to Tesla first building the Roadster in a high-margin, high-performance auto market before trying to expand out to more general markets. It's a good sign, and moving from proto…
Edit: That is, where injection molding is applicable today. 3D printers do fill a niche for low-volume runs.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Many think of 3D printing taking over low-cost high-volume production. In that area there are real economic and tech hurdles. But, the niche of 3d printing in the aerospace industry (or any low volume, high-cost, high-complexity parts) is akin to Tesla first building the Roadster in a high-margin, high-performance auto market before trying to expand out to more general markets. It's a good sign, and moving from proto…
I don't think it's ever going to compete with injection molding on a cost basis. Edit: That is, where injection molding is applicable today. 3D printers do fill a niche for low-volume runs.
In all practicality, you can only do this with a very narrow range of parts, even if you could get direct finished looking structural parts out of a 3D printer (which right now, many times you can't exactly ...).