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3D metal printing,possible discontinued parts supply?

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Philip d

Well-known Member
I was reading the local news and there is a link to an article where a local university now has a 3D metal printer. I looked at an interesting video on YouTube and thought I?d post the link. By my interpretation of the contents I?m guessing that if it?s not already possible that some day these printers could scan a part then recreate an exact replica? Or possibly if there was a format available it could also recreate any solid metal part.
3D metal printing
 
The biggest issue with 3D is the time it takes to make the part, process times for a part that weighs 10 pounds can be a week, this equates to a very expensive part.

Rich
 
Jay Leno has one and that's what he does with it. He had to promise NOT to reproduce some very rare parts as that would drive the vehicle's price down since they're non-existent.
 

Large manufacturing factories are know using them to reproduce certain machinery parts on site.
No more keeping an inventory or waiting for a part to arrive.
 
(quoted from post at 10:18:20 06/30/19) My question would be how do you reproduce a part without detail drawings of the part.

If you make a exact replica of a worn out part you just get a brand new worn out part.
Click to expand...

First scan it with a 3d laser scanner, I bet the high end printers also have a built in scanner. Then your engineering or drafting department uses that scan to draw up the part inside and out. Only the critical surfaces need to be same as a new one. Or close so that those surfaces can be finished by your machine shop.
Exterior/molded surfaces, etc. do not have to be exact nor look anything like a new part most of the time.
 
It does have it's advantages.

A 3D printer can make parts that can't be made by conventional machining, such as curved holes, internal cavities, etc.

But there is more to the process than just printing a part and putting it to use.

For some applications that can be done, but it doesn't have much strength, something like pot metal.

But for high strength, different alloys are used, the part then goes through a heat treating process, which makes it as good as any other material. Problem is the heat treating must be done under very controlled conditions, makes for some expensive parts.

But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do...
 
This has been cover in Science Fiction for at least 60 years. A computer would take your preliminary sketch and do the design and then make the part. Don't worry folks the future will soon be the now. Star Trek is in your hand. That smart phone in 1966 would have blown peoples minds. Just wait till we get Transporters and Warp Drive comes on line.
 
You are correct. Plastic 3D costs about $5.00 per cubic inch, not counting the design/scan modify time. The metal printers can be 50 times the cost. Making the impossible is their glory. Making the one of a kind part for an antique is not reasonable compared to milling the thing from billet, or casting one with lost pattern processes. We have about 1,5 million in 3D printers at SCSU (no metal printers), and make things as big as a battery box for a SMTA. I have made reproduction parts for a Warteloo Boy that attached to the kerosene tank to connect to the lines. Design time from a picture and the tank in hand was 10 hours. Print time 2 hours. Cost was roughly $50. Jim
 
You guys can yuk it up all you want. Cat is making some of their parts with 3D metal printing and has been for several years. A complicated part that required multiple machining processes and took a day to complete can and are now being printed. Cat was very proud of that and showed it off when I toured the factory 2 years ago.

Rick
 
(quoted from post at 13:50:50 06/30/19) My engineering and drafting departments . Yes I have to check in with them more.
Click to expand...

Most engineering and drafting departments are full of whackos, goofing off on pet projects all the time!
:idea:
 
Actually they do have the world hostage with some of the rare earth items that are needed. There is a doping rare earth that is used in those super magnets and also in some of the battery components. nnalert knows what he is doing not twisting too hard. They have already put the screws to the Japanese.
 
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