US researchers share plans for low-cost metal 3D printer

ComputerWeekly ^ | December 11, 2013 | Warwick Ashford, security editor

[2ndDivisionVet]

Researchers at Michigan Technological University (MTU) have developed a low-cost 3D printer capable of producing steel objects.

Low-cost 3D printing, which creates objects layer by layer, has been restricted to polymers to create objects such as chess sets, toys, Christmas decorations and mobile phone covers.

But the team led by MTU’s associate professor Joshua Pearce has cut the cost of making a 3D metal printer to around £900, compared with £300,000 for commercial metal printers.

Better still, the detailed plans, software and firmware are all freely available and open source, so anyone can use them to make their own metal 3D printer.

But Pearce said the printer is a work in progress. So far, the products he and his team have produced are no more intricate than a sprocket.

“Similar to the incredible churn in innovation witnessed with open sourcing of the first RepRap plastic 3D printers, I anticipate rapid progress when the maker community gets their hands on it,” said Pearce.

“Within a month, somebody will make one that’s better than ours, I guarantee it,” he said.

The prototype 3D printer, which uses an open source microcontroller, can lay down thin layers of steel to form complex geometric objects.

Although the build-it-yourself printer is less expensive than off-the-shelf commercial plastic 3D printers and affordable enough for home use, Pearce warns that it requires more safety gear and fire protection equipment than the typical plastic 3D printer.

While metal 3D printing opens new vistas, it also raises anew concerns about home-made firearms. Some people have already made guns with both commercial metal and plastic 3D printers, with mixed results.

As a result, US Congress has approved a 10-year extension of the 1988 ban on plastic guns and the UK’s Home Office has updated the rules around the 1968 Firearms Act to prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase and possession of weapons made by printing their components, unless properly licensed.

Recognising these concerns, Pearce believes that the good to come from all types of distributed manufacturing with 3D printing will far outweigh the dangers.

In previous work, his group has already shown that making products at home with a 3D printer is cheaper for the average American and that printing goods at home is greener than buying commercial goods.

Pearce said expanded 3D printing will benefit people in the developing world, who have limited access to manufactured goods.

“Small and medium-sized enterprises would be able to build parts and equipment quickly and easily using downloadable, free and open source designs, which could revolutionise the economy for the benefit of many,” he said.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Commednts?

[Bobalu]

A 3D printer that creates metallic objects at this low price is a couple of years ahead of what I expected.

The lowering cost of high powered lasers helps accelerate 3D technology. A printer using a laser can create very intricate objects such as gun parts.

Around 2020 I expect affordable 3D printers that can create electronic devices, no more circuit boards since the parts will be connected point-to-point in three dimensions, like in the old days except a lot smaller. These printed devices will be unserviceable and thus disposable. Early versions will use off the shelf processors and later versions will build their own processors from scratch.

One thing I expect to come along soon is 3D printing using sand. I’m a bit surprised that no one has built a 3D printer that makes large objects by simply mixing sand and glue. You could build a house this way. Very intricate objects could be made by fusing sand together using heat. This could make very strong and intricate objects at low cost.

I did see a youtube demo video of some guys 3D printing a wall using cement..this is a step toward the printing of homes.

[2ndDivisionVet]

3D Printers That Build Entire Houses: Aims To Print 2,500 Square-Foot-Homes In 20 Hours [Video]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3089269/posts

[Bobalu]

Thanks for link :-)

[Freeport]

While metal 3D printing opens new vistas, it also raises anew concerns about home-made firearms. Some people have already made guns with both commercial metal and plastic 3D printers, with mixed results.

Wow... of course the author had to play the evil gun card! What a troll!

I guess my evil end-mill, lathe and drill press should be banned because they are critical to rifling a barrel!

Frigging troll...

[green iguana]

You must not know how electronic circuitry works very well.

ExOne makes 3D printers using sand and resin:

http://exone.com/materialization/systems/S-Max

[Bobalu]

Interesting link.

I expect the first Mars colony will build using Martian sand and some form of glue.