3D Printer (non-chocolate version)

YouTube.com ^ | 23 June 2011 | Z Corporation

[Sgt_Schultze]

This is a LINK to a demonstration video.

[Sgt_Schultze]

A super cool technology. Waiting for a Holodeck.

[GeronL]

I saw a video report once about how they might be able to “print” transplant organs someday.

wait, I think they did a trachea already?? or was that grown in a test tube?

[Iron Munro]

Brain gear machine printed on 3D printer

Life will never be the same once this technology matures.

[glasseye]

My micro business has been using 3D printing for a couple of years now to prototype new designs.

A wonderful new technology....

IMHO

[JennysCool]

Amazing! Thanks for the post!

[pyx]

For those that want to buy a 3-D Printer, an AFFORDABLE version has been around for several YEARS and is called a MAKERBOT. It actually works well and you can make very precise parts.


A MAKERBOT Thing-O-Matic

[piytar]

The most advanced ones I’ve read about use lasers to print objects out of metal.

The tech is maturing FAST...

[TXnMA]

I have used "rapid prototyping" machines that build up successive layers of cyanoacrylate from a liquid -- polymerized by a scanning UV laser.

The results, though, were transparent / translucent, not terribly strong, and the layers were much thicker than shown here. The accuracy was good enough to make mold masters from -- but the results were nowhere close to "near net shape" -- as shown here.

Science/technology marches on!

Imagine a complete automobile -- stored as nothing but data files on a memory chip...

This won't work on living objects -- but, by wirelessly transmitting the data, we now have available, in effect, a "'Star Trek' Transporter"!

[laxcoach]

“thing o matic” sounds like something the writers of Futurama came up with. Too funny.

[pyx]

Too funny.

It seems people in the 3-D printer community have kept their sense of humor ! :)

One of the AFFORDABLE spin offs that seems to have tremendous potential is a PC controlled MINICNC machine that uses a Dremel from Repairable Machines. A picture of the simple and AFFORDABLE set up is below ;



With the Thing-O-Matic from Makerbot and the MINICNC from Repairable Machines, AFFORDABLE Rapid Prototyping is very much here and now. This could signal a PARTIAL return of American Design and Manufacturing on a larger scale.

[pyx]

BTTT

[TChad]

The MakerBot Thing-O-Matic in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdFcM_ByMyY

[Moonman62]

It looks like the plastic that goes into the machine is $25 a pound and precision is in the eye of the beholder apparently. An expensive toy.

[Moonman62]

This could signal a PARTIAL return of American Design and Manufacturing on a larger scale.

I looked at their sample gallery. I don't think so. 3D printing has been around a long time, too.

[JoeProBono]

[laxcoach]

That dremel setup is pretty cool.

This is a good topic and timely for my family. My son (8 years old) has an engineering mind like me, my dad, and my grandfather.

About 2-3 weeks ago he came to me wanting me to help him create a special pulley. So, in passing I told him about 3D printers. He didn’t believe me.

We looked them up on youtube and he was amazed.

While talking about it, it dawned on me that someone, somewhere must provide 3D printing services. Lo and behold I was right.

You can download Autodesk 123 for free to design. Then you upload your design and get a free quote. The 3D printers use plastics, but you can also get a quote for metals, including stainless steel.

The two of us sat and designed his pulley in Autodesk and got our quote. It was a pretty big design for what it was. We got our quote and it was ~$100.

Did I buy it? No. It’s too much for a pulley. But I told him that we can think about it when there is truly something he can’t make from off the shelf products. $100 is a small price to pay to have his wheels turning all the time.

I can only imagine being an engineering student now. I bet the good schools have these things and are charging students for materials only. What a world. It’s amazing.

[TheOldLady]

Boop His Nose

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