Space age 3D Printer

[Gas Man]

This is so cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Particle Man]

That's freaking amazing

[Mr Lefty]

very interesting... maybe not what i'd trust as a tool... but designing your own stuff... where you want something like plastic but don't have a mold...

[derf]

very interesting... maybe not what i'd trust as a tool... but designing your own stuff... where you want something like plastic but don't have a mold...

It looks like it is great for the rapid prototyping world, and it can probably also be used to make quick and cheap molds for use in making stronger final products

[pauldun170]

Expect those to be banned at most levels and regulated out the ass otherwise. shit like that pisses off a lot of people.

[Mr Lefty]

It looks like it is great for the rapid prototyping world, and it can probably also be used to make quick and cheap molds for use in making stronger final products

yeah. my thoughts exactly.

[Particle Man]

Expect those to be banned at most levels and regulated out the ass otherwise. shit like that pisses off a lot of people.

Lobbyists FTL

[derf]

Expect those to be banned at most levels and regulated out the ass otherwise. shit like that pisses off a lot of people.

A higher end machine will run about $10k, but you can build a DIY version for about $500 and its about $40 per pound for the printable ABS plastic reel

If you wanted to do more reaserch on the subject here is a book you can read about how to do it. http://www.amazon.com/Printing-Plastic-Printer-Technology-Action/dp/1430234431/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

[Rangerscott]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggvzcGdZsTc

[Flexin]

I watched a show a year or two ago about one that uses a liquid resin and I think a laser. The part will rise out of the resin as it is being made. Cool shit. Not sure if that one could do moving parts.

James

[askmrjesus]

Anyone else catch the Desmo head @ 0.46?

I watched a show a year or two ago about one that uses a liquid resin and I think a laser. The part will rise out of the resin as it is being made. Cool shit. Not sure if that one could do moving parts.

James

I saw as similar machine doing prototype parts for F1. Very cool shit indeed.

JC

[Gas Man]

I heard that NASA was using this in their shuttles and space station. Think about this... they broke a widget... we need a new "blank". Some guy in houston, sends up the spec and they just printer the new part out.

What's next? A Star Trek replicator?

[Trip]

engineering ftmfw

[derf]

I heard that NASA was using this in their shuttles and space station. Think about this... they broke a widget... we need a new "blank". Some guy in houston, sends up the spec and they just printer the new part out.

What's next? A Star Trek replicator?

can they use these in space? I would think that it requires gravity to keep the dust on the part as its printing, I cant see any of the dust floating around teh space station being a good thing

[Flexin]

can they use these in space? I would think that it requires gravity to keep the dust on the part as its printing, I cant see any of the dust floating around teh space station being a good thing

Thats a very good point. The dust needs to stay in the tray and not get in the electronics.

The one that Jay Leno was showing, using the plastic wire might work.

James

[Rangerscott]

The one in the jeno vid is just so you can make a copy of a part then machine the exact same part out of metal.

[derf]

DIY Wiki

http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page


For sale forum

http://dev.forums.reprap.org/index.php?93


a complete kit for $600

http://www.reprapstores.com/catalog/complete-kits/hk


I'm sure you can easily make the $600 selling small parts online

[Flexin]

The one in the jeno vid is just so you can make a copy of a part then machine the exact same part out of metal.

They both take scans of a ready made part. But I believe you can do a CAD design and make it with that to get a better look at it and make changes before doing any out of the real material they plan to use.

James

[pauldun170]

Gee I need a replacement fairing after a minor spill...I'll just print a new one

[derf]

The one that Jay Leno was showing, using the plastic wire might work.

James

After looking at the RepRap project that uses the plastic wire which is heated then cooled as a solid shape, I do see some severe limitations with a zero G environment. Mainly because the plastic pretty much falls into place solidifying on contact or shortly after. I'm pretty sure that if you can squeeze out the molten plastic fast enough and cool it quick enough, and get the extruder head close enough to the part it can be done, but thats just a limitation and me pointing out the problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05aeYBaZzas

[Papa_Complex]

I networked a couple of these things. Cool as hell. No idea why it was our Faculty of Architecture that bought them though, rather than Aerospace or Mech Eng.

[askmrjesus]

I networked a couple of these things. Cool as hell. No idea why it was our Faculty of Architecture that bought them though, rather than Aerospace or Mech Eng.

Easier than making models from scratch?

JC

[Papa_Complex]

Easier than making models from scratch?

JC

Only just, considering how they make them. Seems like a waste of some pretty heavy tech.

[derf]

I networked a couple of these things. Cool as hell. No idea why it was our Faculty of Architecture that bought them though, rather than Aerospace or Mech Eng.

its becoming fairly common to use them to make complex forms and shapes, and also easy to fix a mistake without ever looking at a model because its on the screen

[AquaPython]

this guy takes it a step further.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7a5b2b5Ljs

[askmrjesus]

this guy takes it a step further.

That seems like an awful lot of work, just to make a glass dog turd, and a bowl nobody wants to eat out of. :lol:

JC

[pauldun170]

http://gizmodo.com/5866491/fraudsters-now-using-3d-printers-to-make-authentic-looking-atm-skimmers