3D printing seems to have gone quiet. Where are we all at?

[Chris BaetensParticipant @chrisbaetens16442]

Hi guys,

So far we've built about 15 printers, most of them for family, friends, neighbors (it's rather addictive). They don't look very nice but that's not important at all. Most of them are Mendel Prusa i2. You can buy it as a kit, but as a kit it'll cost you 100 to 200€ more. We always buy threaded rods, smooth rods, nuts bolts etc in local stores. Nowadays we print our parts to make the next printer. So our printers cost less than 400€. Maybe just maybe there is someone outhere willing to print these parts to build your printer.

There are a few site with lots of detailed info howto.
scroll down to half page and you'll see at left a 12 step how to :
http://www.nextdayreprap.co.uk/prusa-mendel-build-manual-2/reprap-prusa-mendel-build-manual-150-pages-full-instructions-how-to-free-download/
Or you can view that same printer built in a few YouTube movies. All there is to know is explained in these movies :
https://www.youtube.com/user/engineglue/videos.

To me these printers (I have 2) it's a tool like any other machine in my workshop. I'm into astronomy and Stirling engines btw. Before I start a project I will decide whether I will use one of my lathes, milling, drilling or printers to produce a part. Think of it this way, If there is no need to make a part (in a larger project) out of aluminum or steel whatever, why shouldn't I print it instead. There are several reasons I could think of why I would choose to print a part instead of machine it.
And there's something else : Even very complex parts can be printed. If you can draw it, you can print it..!

Using a cheap 3D printer (and well tuned) it'll produce just the same parts as very expensive one's. See for yourself :

/makezine.com/

 

Greets

Chris

>Edit to shorten link and make it live>

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 14/02/2015 14:28:27

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Was browsing Machine Mart today looking for a bench vice and noticed they're doing 3D printing and supplies now.

Ed.

[Chris BaetensParticipant @chrisbaetens16442]

3D Printing has already taken it's place in community.

It's just a matter of time printing parts will be accepted for a fully 100%. And there's another thing : these days thousands of people are busy designing, drawing and printing parts for daily use at home. Making stuff at home like we do is not exclusively for mechanical engineers (like us) anymore..!

Used wisely the combination of both mechanical engineering and 3D printing will give us immense possibilities. Like I said before in another post it's just a matter of choosing the right tool for the right job.

I retired a few months ago and together with a few friends started building 3D printers. As a matter of fact some larger projects I started a few months ago would not even be feasible at all if I did not had these 3D-printers.

Chris

[Anonymous]

My 3D printer is quiet, just as well as it is in the living room, but it has been busy churning out hundreds of prototype and production parts for some of our gas sensor products:

The simplest parts take about 5 minutes, the most complex 35 hours. Not only that but at the agreed hourly rate the printer is now paid for; it even earns me money even while I am asleep.

Andrew

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Look quite finelty detailed parts Andrew especially those square to round elbows in the foreground, whats the wall thickness out of interest?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Looks a bit rough now I have seen the close up

[Nick GrantParticipant @nickgrant21535]

I just wish shapeways would launch in the uk! Its a pain ordering stuff from america and I haven't found anyone offering a similar easy to use service over here.

[EnnechParticipant @ennech]

I have had good service from Shapeways in Holland Nick. Check this out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415059758757262/

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

I used to do a bit of rapid prototyping and it surprises me how much hype there is surrounding it.

The tabloids scream that you can produce guns and knives and the gadget freaks claim the age of factories is over.

The truth is that even the expensive ones make a slightly rough cosmetic replica of an object and mostly in plastic.

They are very useful tools within a very limited scope.

No printed steam boilers in our lifetimes.

[Nick GrantParticipant @nickgrant21535]

Posted by Ennech on 08/03/2015 21:53:11:

I have had good service from Shapeways in Holland Nick. Check this out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415059758757262/

Thank you, thats an interesting group.

[Anonymous]

The 'roughness' is where the support structure has been broken away and the residue filed down. Whatever people might think of the parts they do the job for which they were designed and made. The close up photo of the part is now deleted from my album; I can't see the point in posting it only to have it denigrated.

Andrew

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 09/03/2015 13:58:25:

… The close up photo of the part is now deleted from my album; I can't see the point in posting it only to have it denigrated.

.

Sorry to hear that, Andrew.

I would have been very interested to see it.

MichaelG.

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 09/03/2015 13:58:25:

The close up photo of the part is now deleted from my album; I can't see the point in posting it only to have it denigrated.

Likewise, I missed it earlier and would like to see it.

Surface finish from every RP system I've seen is less than mirror-smooth, and the higher the magnification the worse they look. But if they're good enough for the job then it hardly matters.

Putting my money where my mouth is – here's a shot @ 20x magnification of a ring I use for tests. I've got examples of this from other printers, this is from the LittleRP.

Now, that looks rough for several reasons:

1. I am testing a new resin – at the moment I'm trying to characterise how much pigment is needed as well as what exposure time.

2. It is only sliced at 50u; for production use I'll be running at 25u for jewellery models.

3. It hasn't had proper post-print curing.

However, it's also worth pointing out that a) if this were cast it would end up with a rough surface from the casting process that I'd need to grind & polish off and b) this is actually a render model – I wouldn't have all the prongs & holes in the casting model as I'd put them in myself while setting the ring.

This is what the rendered version looks like:

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Peter,

Thanks for posting that close-up photo:

It would be good to see your examples of the same model from other printers.

MichaelG.

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

Here's the same model off a Projet 1200 (only shot I can find quickly); that's 30u layers. Stairstepping is still visible.

I'll retake the Fun To Do resin one from the same angle, but possibly once I've got a cleaner print!

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

So, as promised – a slightly better quality print:

The definition on the Projet sample is still sharper, particularly with the prongs (0.5mm diameter) but the LittleRP is not bad; I've seen less well-defined waxes get used.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

is the 'rendered' image a CAD picture? ie not real.

Is the last one a wax for lost wax casting?

[Peter BondParticipant @peterbond14804]

Spot on. It's just a little bit too clean for it to be real – I could dirty up the image so it looked more real (messing with lens effects, noise and the likes), but that's not the purpose of the render. Using a rendered image means you can show a potential customer what the object will look like without having to have it made first.

The last one isn't actually castable, but it could be printed in a castable resin. I'm currently using a high-strength resin that is supposed to tolerate vulcanising temperatures & pressures; lacking a vulcaniser means I'll make moulds with a suitable RTV rubber and make waxes for those instead for now. Mostly I'm just trying to get this particular resin calibrated.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Peter,

Many thanks for the update

If you are free to share the print file, then perhaps other users could try printing it with other devices and materials: It looks like a suitably demanding standard test piece.

Personally, I'm still in the 'Want One' category … but the work you are doing is pushing me towards 'Need One'.

MichaelG.

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Michael,

I tripped into the 'need one' category a few weeks abck and scooped up an almost unused 'UP!' from fleabay for a fraction of the list price – I looked for a second hand commercial unit rather than an assembled kit of bits to give me some confidence that what I bought might work more or less out of the box.

I have been really pleased with the results and so far I have made a box for my PoKeys CNC interface (a fast printt to confirm it actually worked and a more solid version that is printing alongside me now), a QC toolholder incorporating a boss for a DTI ( no critical strength issues), 4 T nuts (medium strength task, we will see how they last) along with several SWMBO related items to demonstrate the usefulness of it……including a St Patricks day 4 leaf clover in bright green!

In some ways, I would advise against getting one…..the attraction of '..just printing a…' is rather too beguiling – but I guess the phase will eventually end.

I have also been using OnShape (as per another thread) for drawing everything up – it goes without saying that you need 'some' competence in 3D drawing to make any use of the printer…

Good luck!

Simon

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

This should liven up the thread…

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/1952-revealing-dita-von-teese-in-a-fully-articulated-3d-printed-gown.html

 

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/1952-revealing-dita-von-teese-in-a-fully-articulated-3d-printed-gown.html

Regards

Geoff

 

Clickable link added.

Edited By John Stevenson on 27/03/2015 12:43:25

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Good God Geoff, that should get the shares in Lucas Pacemakers back on the stock market.

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

There was an article on 3D printing in one of the mags a couple of months ago (Engineering & Technology – Feb or March). The article was focussed on the big Aerospace companies developing 3D printing technology for titanium and iconel components. The first "flight ready" components in those materials are already being produced…

Steve

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

I have been following the progress of a gent in the US trying to make a fountain pen with 3D printing.

3D printers don't seem up to doing the nib yet, but 3D metal printing seemed to be an avenue for making the clip, but the surface finish seemed none too good and required too much post finishing work, so he tried to make an all plastic pen with a separately bought nib unit here: **LINK** . The model he used modelled the internal & external threads to connect together, so he needed no post manufacture machining at all.

The result is a usable pen, and I think it forms a breakthrough of sorts. 3D printing has made something that would be of use in the domestic environment. Now the limitations need to be explored & worked around. I don't think it marks the start of the death of conventional manufacturing, but it does show that another tool is coming of age.

Regards,

Richard

Edited By richardandtracy on 05/04/2015 10:49:12

[Ron ColvinParticipant @roncolvin83430]

The other day I came across this demonstration of a new approach to 3D printing which I found interesting.

**LINK**

When if ever this technology will trickle down to the home user is another matter.

[Author]

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