3D printing growing as we speak

[Mark]

Seems like I've seen more that a few folks try that.  

Pro-built!

[aurfalien]

I found this which may decrease the need to be an expert in the use of a full blown 3D modeling app;

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/27360-gravity-sketch-launches-a-kickstarter-campaign.html?etId=118551664&utm_source=sw-email-2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20161009-Gravity-Sketch

Pretty exciting stuff.

[1930fordpickup]

So we have arrived at the two things that are needed to make 3D printing worth what they have been bragging about. Speed and no layers. 

I am wondering when we are going to see things printed fast that are thin like a model car body without all the support of the ball the towers of chain link fence? 

I like what I am seeing with this new technology Things are looking up. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Desktop SLA machine, uses various resin systems 25-micron (about .001") resolution. Several informative videos about where we are today.

https://formlabs.com/industries/engineering-product-design/?utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=eng-launch-16&utm_source=desktop-engineering

[my66s55]

This is old news Bill. Form labs has been around for a number of years. Laser 3d printing itself has been around since the 1980's. The new kid on the block is are the dlp printers that have numerous advantages over laser machines. Dlp printers will print layers at 20 microns. More important, they will print x/y axis as low as 50 microns. The dot of Form Labs Form 2 is 140 microns. What I print is done with a dlp printer. Those nice AFB carbs are printer on a dlp printer. No contest. The advantages of dlp over laser are too numerous to mention.

Edited October 28, 2016 by my66s55

[Ace-Garageguy]

This is old news Bill. 

I put the link up for several reasons.

1) The machine featured will makes prints in a variety of materials, even "soft" materials, and the resin packs are loaded more-or-less as cassettes. It's a fully developed system that's quite user friendly.

2) The videos presented show the capabilities of the technology quite clearly. I think a lot of the casual readers of this site (modelcarsmag) really have no clue as to what 3D printing is already capable of, and professionally produced videos like the ones available at the link I posted go a long way to overcoming the relative ignorance surrounding this stuff.

3) One of the available videos deals specifically with "moldmaking with 3D prints". This has been discussed on another thread as though it's some kind of black magic future-world far-out stuff. It's not. It would be good if more people realized just how well developed and capable this technology already is. 

4) Videos are going to get watched more than articles are going to get read, unfortunately. If the object is to inform as many people as rapidly as possible about the technology in general (rather than one-upping as to which tech is better and newer and faster, etc.), videos are the way to go.

My intent is to make information easily available, period.  

[Howard Cohen]

A lot of this '3D printed' talk reminds me of what happened in the past in the model car hobby: 

In the late 70s, it was 'Wow, Bare Metal Foil', now I can finish all those projects I have!'

Followed by Modelhaus (and many others) resin parts and, 'Wow, now I can finish all those projects I have!'

Then it was custom made decals from Fred Cady, 'Wow, now I can finish all those projects I have!'

Next came photo-etch parts, 'Wow, now I can finish all those projects I have!' 

Followed by custom chroming from various sources, 'Wow, now I can finish all those projects I have!'

Then there are the many re-issues allowing people to buy their fill of kits they had when they were younger, 'Wow, now I can finish all those projects I have!'

Is there a pattern here? Yup, sure is...and we are all doing the same thing Make sure you don't get carried away with 3D printing with all the possibilities because history has shown we all buy more than we can build in a few lifetimes, whether we want to believe it or not  

[Edsel-Dan]

My Library has one now and May even be allowing patrons to 'Print' items in a few months!!

[peteski]

My Library has one now and May even be allowing patrons to 'Print' items in a few months!!

Libraries - not just for lending (paper) books anymore.  Glad to see that the libraries are adapting to the world around them.

[Ace-Garageguy]

My Library has one now and May even be allowing patrons to 'Print' items in a few months!!

 

Libraries - not just for lending (paper) books anymore.  Glad to see that the libraries are adapting to the world around them.

Excellent. I hope moves like that are enough to keep the library concept "relevant" to today's minds...but even reading doesn't seem to be thought to be relevant by many any more. 

Edited October 29, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[peteski]

 

...but even reading doesn't seem to be thought to be relevant by many any more. 

Neither is cursive writing. Many Millennials cannot decipher cursive writing. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Neither is cursive writing. Many Millennials cannot decipher cursive writing. 

And even if they could make out the words, they'd likely fail at getting the meaning of a sentence containing more than 12 or 13.

There are some really scary reading stats out there...but that's another story entirely.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Quick GMC]

I'm sure this was touched on at some point, but can Google Sketchup Pro, or Inventor Professional from Autodesk be used to make the right drawings/file types for 3D printing? I am going to be forcing myself to learn these programs to design some prototype pieces of equipment for my business, and I figure why not make some model stuff while I'm at it. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm sure this was touched on at some point, but can Google Sketchup Pro, or Inventor Professional from Autodesk be used to make the right drawings/file types for 3D printing? I am going to be forcing myself to learn these programs to design some prototype pieces of equipment for my business, and I figure why not make some model stuff while I'm at it. 

Here you go.

https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/sketchup-stl

and   http://airwolf3d.com/wiki/how-to-convert-and-export-google-sketchup-skp-files-to-stl-for-3d-printing/

and   http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/sketchup_3d_printing_export_to_stl_tutorial

[Vietnam Vet67]

I worked at Chrysler Engineering from 1966-2007 in the Race Engine/Performance engine departments. We started using this technology in the middle to late 1990's for building one off prototype engine parts for testing and development and fabrication. We had a couple prototype shops take a chance and invest $100,000 for the equipment at the time to do this. They became the leaders in the Detroit area for this technology and it paid off handsomely for them. This technology basically eliminated the highly paid job of  wood pattern model  makers. (they made the wood models and patterns for automotive fenders, hoods, tops etc) as this technology could make a complete wooden pattern in 24 hours or less.

[Quick GMC]

Here you go.

https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/sketchup-stl

and   http://airwolf3d.com/wiki/how-to-convert-and-export-google-sketchup-skp-files-to-stl-for-3d-printing/

and   http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/sketchup_3d_printing_export_to_stl_tutorial

thank you 

[my66s55]

I have been waiting for this as have many others. As some of you may be aware, I won't post anything on this post that isn't new, and therefore, real 3d printing growing as we speak. This one has just been released in the last short while. https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/wax-casting-UV-resin-LCD-light-curing-Photocurable-3d-printer-with-Raspberry-pi-SLA-3D-printer/32778078602.html?detailNewVersion=&categoryId=200003413. you'll need to translate from your browser. A non standalone version is available for $618. This printer gives a quality as good as Shape Ways best and in some cases better. It's as good as you can get to being plug and play. Why is this , besides cost, such a break through? Let me explain. Current ultra violet, or u.v. curred resin printers that produce high quality prints  utilize a D.L.P projector or laser to cure the resin. L.E.D. diodes come in all ranges of the light scale, including u.v. Coupling an L.C.D. panel like the one on your computer and t.v. with L.E.D.u.v. diodes for a back light creates a 3d printer that is low in cost, energy efficient and low level maintenance. As an example, d.l.p printers cost $2k+ and up to $5k. If you D.I.Y it as I did, the projector alone will cost as much or more than this printer. One drawback to D.L.P. printing is that the light projected onto the printer build plate is not at the same intensity. This means that,  even though you may have a build area of 5" X 3", only a portion, maybe half, is printable use. With L.E,D. light, the whole build area is printable.Here is a forum showing results from this printer. Much is talk, but work through to the actual results. There is more on the Google form if anyone is interested. As a p.s., compare this printer to that cheap, F.D.M, obsolete printer for a few hundred less, and in many cases,more money.         

[CabDriver]

I've been having some real fun messing with 3D modelling this weekend - using the tools Shapeways recommends to design some custom sized tyres that were hard to find...

And a simple display board stand to paint and put next to a finished model:

It was surprisingly easy to do - and they're printing them today and they should arrive in the next week or so!  I'm really excited - it opens up some cool new possibilities. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I subscribe to several engineering publications. In one of today's is the announcement of the commercial availability of 3D printing in metal that's so accurate, details too small to be seen without magnification may be printed clean. For producing reusable patterns for resin molds, it would seem hard to beat. This also makes it possible to print scale model parts that are supposed to be metal in metal. Not cheap, but like all tech, the pricing will come way down as it's accepted and implemented on a wide scale.

Article here. Note the little man is only 10mm tall.

http://www.digitaleng.news/de/binder-jetting-3d-printer-produces-metal-objects/?ajs_uid=9564E8171245D3T

Video here (published on September 22)...

 

[Deano]

Out here in my neck of the woods we call that "kinda cool!"

[Spex84]

Neato!

[Lownslow]

Started posting a how to in Tips and Trick to get the basics going as printers will be seeing a huge drop in price and the advent of budget CNCs becoming a thing