print a part??? gotta watch this. 3D printer

... Not sure why this is suddenly getting so popular but I suspect because the price is dropping. The SLA process has been around for 15 years. We'd send mechanical drawings out and 2 days later, a composite part was returned. They were strong enough for assembly and prototyping. We eventually purchased our own "printer" and this was 7 years ago at a cost of 190 grand.

Allibre makes them too. I think they're in the few-thousand $ range or less.


Ray
 
Truly amazing, If I am correct Jay Leno even has one.
 
I posted a link to that video quite sometime back, Way cool. I will own a 3D printer of some sort within the next couple years.
 
My brother, the computer whizz, says that the price is nearing $1k and many are home built for less. At a 1000 there is a lot more interest than at 10k for the home user.
Pierre
 
You can get an "entry level" machine for $499 now! $599 for one you'd want to use.
 
Here's a link to the alibre printer. It is an extrusion based printer. Many people are building this type.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSmlT-N9rQM


The extrusion 3d printers are very feasible for a home build. I've been following a couple of builds on another forum and they are getting pretty good results using an already built xyz cnc platform such as a cnc plasma table or router table.

The resolution is far better on the powder resin systems as depicted in the first video. It seems that the powder/resin formulas are highly proprietary which is probably why we're not seeing any home builds yet. That cat will be out of the bag eventually.
 
X2 What Ray said. It far from new.
I am glad tho because AM/RP technology is soooo so cool. The home priced machines are definitely getting better. I have been looking to get the mac-daddy 36" sq Stratasys machine to do pattern making for our foundry. @ $300k + $20K/yr maint contract its still unfeasible for our business model. Unfortunately the patent situation is keeping prices high and mfgrs balkanized.
The day is coming when we'll all have a little "printer" on the desk.!!
 
Have a printer on the desk - well dining room table atm.

Bought a rep-rap Huxley for £450 - $675. Assembly and wiring fairly difficult but the software was gobblygook. Got printing after several frustrating weeks but would not be without it now.

Trevor
 
Yeah, and when they figure-out how to make precision metal parts with this technique, we're all screwed!

Imagine going to Office Depot, purusing the printer ink and finding cartridges of FE, C, S, Ti, Mn, Si, Pb, AL...


EDIT: Computer! Early Gray, Hot.
 
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