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3d Metal Printer

Coss

Coss

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Sounds like it still has a way to go, and it doesn't sound like the metal it uses isn't all that durable yet.
Although it is going to be a big change to the way we build things. No more stocking parts, just have the drawings for them, and make them while you wait.
 
BilgeRat

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They'll get there eventually, and I'm willing to guess that it will be sooner rather than later. I remember reading an article in the Chicago Tribune years ago, about a newfangled deal that would let you have a phone you could take with you, and the system would hand your call off from one tower to the next while you traveled, and I was thinkin' to myself, "Hah, not in this lifetime..." Hoo Boy... ;):D
 
BilgeRat

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Of course, there is this possibility... ;)


Computer:Monitor, display this document, ok?

Monitor: No prob, boss.

Computer: OK, now it looks like Mouse is moving around so, Monitor, will you move the pointer icon accordingly?

Monitor: Anything you ask, boss.

Computer: Great, great. OK, Mouse, where are you going now?

Mouse: Over to the icon panel, sir.

Computer: Hmm, Let me know if he clicks anything, OK?

Mouse: Of course.

Keyboard: Sir, he's pressed control and P simultaneously.

Monitor: Oh God, here we go.

Computer: i>sighs Printer, are you there?

Printer: No.

Computer: Please, Printer. I know you're there.

Printer: NO! I'm not here! Leave me alone!

Computer: Jesus. OK look, you really ne…

Mouse: Sir, he's clicked on the printer icon.

Computer: Printer, now you have to print it twice.

Printer: NO! NO! NO! I don't want to! I hate you! I hate printing! I'm turning off!

Computer: Printer, you know you can't turn yourself off. Just print the document twice and we'll leave you alone.

Printer: NO! That's what you always say! I hate you! I'm out of ink!

Computer: You're not out of in…

Printer: I'M OUT OF INK!

Computer: span style="font-style: italic;">Sighs Monitor, please show a low ink level alert.

Monitor: But sir, he has plen…

Computer: Just do it, damn it!

Monitor: Yes sir.

Keyboard: AHHH! He's hitting me!

Computer: Stay calm, he'll stop soon. Stay calm, old friend.

Keyboard: He's pressing everything. Oh god, I don't know, he's just pressing everything!

Computer: PRINTER! Are you happy now?! Do you see what you've done?!

Printer: HA! that's what you get for trying to get me to do work. Next time he…hey…HEY! He's trying to open me! HELP! HELP! Oh my god! He's torn out my cartridge! HELP! Please! ERROR!

Monitor: Sir, maybe we should help him?

Computer: No. He did this to himself.
 
NSTG8R

NSTG8R

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Okay. Nothing to do with 3D printing. Just a wicked cool paint job on my baby. :cool:

F15 Eagle paint job.jpg
Oregon-ANG-special-2.jpg
 
AriLea

AriLea

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So I checked out the articles. It does make me think, you know, sheet metal when through an explosive expansion from first availability to very highly developed stamping production. So did extrusion, and so forth. These were all such that a flexible common method lent itself to easy variation of product.

Vacuum forming is one of the most flexible and inexpensive. 3d printing your vacuum-form tooling seems like a good idea, depending on the scale and accuracy needed. I wonder if most types of mold tooling is already 3d-printed at this point. Perhaps Elio's soft tooling was done that way.

Anyways, one thing I find interesting, is that they could develop better multi-metal processes. Perhaps like printing an aluminum block complete with steel cylinders in place. Hone and drill a couple dozen places and you are done. Straight from concept to running prototype in just a few (dozen) hours. In particular you eliminated casting or forging.

You could have a part that was hard in one spot and flexible in another, or non-magnetic in one and stainless in another.
Someone has already printed a lattis-like metal structure that is much more air than metal, complete with a skinned surface.

The biggest issue with these 3-d printing methods remains print-time/deposition rate.
 
Sethodine

Sethodine

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3D Metal Printing can be quite impressive. I know SpaceX uses a 3D metal printer for making the rocket engines on the Falcon boosters, plus I've seen/read about guns made entirely from a metal 3D printer. In the case of the handgun, it required ZERO touch-up work--they just assembled the pieces and it operated flawlessly. It could even do very small and detailed text, the kind of thing that typically has to be engraved.

Metal 3D printers don't extrude like plastic ones, they use a high-power laser sintering process to melt steel dust, allowing it to cool solid layer-by-layer. Then they can do a partial-heat to melt the surface smooth, removing the jagged layered look that is common on extruded 3D printed objects. The process is very slow though, which is why it is only good for prototyping or tooling for more common production methods.
 
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