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Posted on 04/01/2015 3:11:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
“I don’t need that many candle holders, Buddha statues, or toothpick dispensers that would generate a revolution in home manufacturing.
Now when these things can machine 304l or titanium, let me know!!”
If you can print the mold, you can pour the metal...
“kewl!”
What does that mean?
Will it take longer for a factory to produce one million products or have one million printers produce one product each?
More hype and overstated 3D BS
One day I decide I need a new vacuum cleaner, so I go online and decide on a nice Hoover model. I buy and download the manual, assembly instructions and a one-time licensed set of 3D CAD files.
Each night after work, I knock out another dozen or so of the parts in the project. Finally, after several weeks, I have all 2,136 parts needed to assemble my new vacuum cleaner.
I print out the assembly instructions, written originally in Chinese and translated to English by a Mexican. Eight weeks later, the thing is assembled... except for two left over parts that hopefully aren't too important.
I plug it in and turn it on and nothing happens. I call tech support, but get put on hold... indefinately. I go out and buy a broom.
I’m with you. I have prototyped cast parts with one to check fit. When you go to production there are far faster methods and Probably always will be. I am also curious about internal stress from the metal sintering process.
Metal sintering is weak. Ok for ashtrays and phillipino made 1911’s.
I still prefer machined receivers and bolts. What’s next, the new fabulous “Damascus” twist steel barrels?
Cast manufacturing is akin to Pakistany bootleg cast reproductions.
Oil well..
When the consumer is made the manufacturer, it's his problem. The nominal manufacturer -- the owner of the information that drives the manufacture of the item in question -- would in the distributed manufacturing model suggested by 3D printing (and theorized on this thread) no longer need any production plant investment.
The consumer pays the "manufacturer" for information. All well and good, but some of us will rue the loss of convenience of having such massive and diverse production capabilities available to the marketplace, along with all its benefits.
Yes, this could change things all right.
I have found that ABS 3mm printing filament made by IC3D prints super great.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_industrial?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=IC3D&node=16310091
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