Amazing Printer?

[5Toes]

a Veyron :D

of all things??

[m73m95]

This is the shit.
SLS allows for a use of a huge range of materials and composites that posses very impressive qualities. For example Carbon infused Nylon (NyTek 1200CF), possesses equal or higher tensile strength than steel, however is 65% lighter! It also has a much higher Thermal resistance. Materials such as this have already seen use in mass production, infact Boeing have been known to use SLS parts in the manufacture of their aircraft for some years now. I also recall one of the polyamides being used for a SLS Intake manifold that was used on a WRC rally car. Pretty cool stuff..

The great thing about SLS is that the only limitation as to what you can print, is the size of the print bed, it is the most effective way to rapid prototype parts with complicated undercuts and cavities due to its powder support material that can easily be brushed off. Even More impressively, more than 50% of the support material can be reused..

My Honours year Industrial Design project proposed SLS as a key manufacturing process for my 'near future' Rocker motorcycle concept..
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Mind blown.

I would make engine blocks non-stop with that shit.

of all things??

What else could a person want?

You'd make a girlfriend? :D

[TurboJake]

What else could a person want?

You'd make a girlfriend? :D

A better leg. :D

[5Toes]

Ha this is actually REALLY good technology to replicate leg sockets for people... carbon fiber is sort of overkill for a leg socket IMO

What would I make? A Porsche speedster replica for a living room. Lots of artsy things to decorate with (like wheel reps)

[m73m95]

Ha this is actually REALLY good technology to replicate leg sockets for people... carbon fiber is sort of overkill for a leg socket IMO

What would I make? A Porsche speedster replica for a living room. Lots of artsy things to decorate with (like wheel reps)

Honestly, making prosthetic limbs for disabled military folks is something I would love to do. Or working for the DOD, making battle armor, or things to keep soldiers safe.

Its kind of disturbing that Boeing uses this product for airplane parts. If its stronger than steel, but half the weight, why is it not going into Humvees, and armor? Fuck your airplane.

[JamesE30]

Ha this is actually REALLY good technology to replicate leg sockets for people... carbon fiber is sort of overkill for a leg socket IMO

What would I make? A Porsche speedster replica for a living room. Lots of artsy things to decorate with (like wheel reps)

For the record, printing something as large and detailed as a Porsche speedster replica, from even the cheapest Zcorp material, would cost you damn near as much as a real porsche speedster..

Its kind of disturbing that Boeing uses this product for airplane parts. If its stronger than steel, but half the weight, why is it not going into Humvees, and armor? Fuck your airplane.

Cost and complexity.. SLS is not viable for mass production just yet.. It is very expensive and time consuming process at the moment. Sheets of steel armour are probably produced by the thousands per minute.. To SLS a sheet the size of a humvee door, would take all day.. for One unit. And it would be ridiculously expensive.

The process of SLS is suited to extremely complicated parts with complex geometry and where accuracy is key. The sort of parts you might find on an airplane. NyTek 1200CF is just one of 100's or 1000's of materials that could be used. Each with different properties.

[TurboJake]

If its stronger than steel, but half the weight, why is it not going into Humvees, and armor? Fuck your airplane.

It's not the large parts, it's pretty limited to small stuff right now... IIRC, the largest laser sintering system can only do 2'x2'x3' part. It is being used for more advanced armament and precision weaponry though. It's being employed where parts with intricacies too small to machine are required. It's plenty for body armor, but carbon fiber and kevlar are superior for personal protection at the immediate moment.

And, it's expensive as shit to SLS parts.

[m73m95]

It's not the large parts, it's pretty limited to small stuff right now... IIRC, the largest laser sintering system can only do 2'x2'x3' part. It is being used for more advanced armament and precision weaponry though. It's being employed where parts with intricacies too small to machine are required. It's plenty for body armor, but carbon fiber and kevlar are superior for personal protection at the immediate moment.

And, it's expensive as shit to SLS parts.

I'm sure it is being used for DOD... but still. The prime achievement of something like this shouldn't be airplane parts. It should be "We saved the lives of American soldiers being attacked in Afghanistan.....and we made some airplane parts too"

Some things are worth more than money.

[TurboJake]

I'm sure it is being used for DOD... but still. The prime achievement of something like this shouldn't be airplane parts. It should be "We saved the lives of American soldiers being attacked in Afghanistan.....and we made some airplane parts too"

Some things are worth more than money.

Couldn't agree more. Even if they made the lower paneling of the door of the Humvee with SLS parts, honeycombed for better anti-penetrative properties compared to slab steel paneling. The amount of protection, even if in those little areas, would drastically improve. Make it thin and slightly recessed for active armor tiles to prevent RPG penetration.

Those two improvements would drastically change the humvee's personnel survivability...

[Nsquared97]

Last one I had access to was too small for what I wanted to do with it though... We'll see what/if MTU has at their disposal.

Join IEEE, they just got a 3D printer last (fall?) Not terribly large, and I don't know much about the specifics of it at all. But they do have one ;)

[JamesE30]

Uh oh political thread alert lol :hitler:

Those two improvements would drastically change the humvee's personnel survivability...

Potentially yes.. But the cost of doing so would surely detract from the military's budget elsewhere which in turn could cost many more lives..

The technology is there for anyone to use. It's not like the government owns it and said fuck the military lets only let Boeing use it for commercial airliners..
I'm sure if was viable to use SLS parts in a humvee they would do.

[TurboJake]

Join IEEE, they just got a 3D printer last (fall?) Not terribly large, and I don't know much about the specifics of it at all. But they do have one ;)

http://ieee.students.mtu.edu/

according to this, it's 8"x8"x10".

I need 8"x8"x24"
:(

I could do it in 3 segments and glue it together. It's just a prototype anyway.

[Fusion]

If you thought that was cool, look at this.

[pfahls1]

We have 4 RP machines at work. One FDM Titan, Two Objets and one Z-corp. The Titan is Fused Deposition which uses various plastic filamints that is extruded through a heated horn. We use it for strength as it lacks needed detail for threaded devices. The Objets use a photo polymer cured under intense UV light. We use it for detail such as threaded parts. I'v used it to create M4 threads and it came out excelenat. The Z-corp uses gypsum powder with a colored bonding agent. We use it manlely for FEA moldels becuase you can print color with it. It is not as detailed or nearly as strong as the Titan or Object parts. We just bought a company in Germany that uses a proprietary manufacturing process for cintering titanium that is used to make spinal implants with a pourous surface that bone actually adhears to.

[AndrewBird]

3D printers are kind of old news. We had a company come and demonstrate one to use in high school back in 2002 or so. I'm waiting for them to become affordable so that your average consumer can buy one. Probably own one with the next 10 years I'd bet.