| Saizou Croatia. April 28 2012 08:56. Posts 5 | Profile # |
| I was fascinated with the idea that with a CAD software and 3D printer you can build anything what you want (tho with certain limitations of course), so my friend and I decided to make one, namely Prusa Mendel. Being 2 engeneering students we figured we could pull it off, so we ordered the electronics (about $120), stepper motors (also about $100) and plastic parts (about $90) off the web and bought the rest in local hardware store (bolts, nuts, washers, etc) ($40). We've assembled it and so far it's giving results, but it will need a lot of fine tuning in both software and hardware to get decent precision. Right now it's still messing up the print, dragging molten plastic where it shouldn't. The material used is PLA plastic and it comes as 3 mm diameter thick thread. |
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| ZackAttack United States. April 28 2012 09:01. Posts 441 | Profile # |
| That skin gun is awesome. It really has nothing to do with 3D printing though. |
| | If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. -Albert Einstein |
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| Atheist April 28 2012 09:20. Posts 186 | Profile # |
| This is actually an old technology. It has been around for more than a decade. |
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| Kazahk United States. April 28 2012 09:28. Posts 214 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 09:20 Atheist wrote:
This is actually an old technology. It has been around for more than a decade.
It is none the less cool technology  |
| | Avis de Hermes est nomen meum manducans pennas meas me faciant mansuescere corda. |
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 speknek April 28 2012 09:35. Posts 756 | Profile # |
At my uni we had this project to develop a trebuchet (within certain boundary conditions), then make it in NX (CAD software). Then all the models were sent to some Belgian company and they 3D printed all the trebuchets. The exact method was called "selective laser sintering". Afterwards a competition was held between all the groups (~20) to see which would fire a little metal bullet the furthest.
This was ours, made a 3 meter shot 
+ Show Spoiler + |
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| Flamingo777 United States. April 28 2012 10:13. Posts 1140 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 07:47 Voltaire wrote:
So what kinds of materials can these printers use? Plastic? Metal? Wood?
I think that this technology is used to make dental/orthodontic retainers out of a fiberglass-plastic substance. |
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| E-Coffee Canada. April 28 2012 10:15. Posts 518 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 06:53 Defacer wrote:
Show nested quote +On April 28 2012 06:46 SnipedSoul wrote:
Once a 3D printer makes another 3D printer we are screwed...
I was a Makerfaire where a guy had built his own 3d printer using Lego Mindstorms, which he then used to print components for a second, improved 3d printer. That was some baller nerd action.
That's only one or two steps away from skynet :S |
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| Defacer Canada. April 28 2012 11:09. Posts 4809 | Profile Blog # |
On April 28 2012 07:47 Voltaire wrote:
So what kinds of materials can these printers use? Plastic? Metal? Wood?
Most typical prototyping machines used by fabricators and designers use a form of granular plastic that gets glued together. Cheaper ones use a long strand of plastic on a spool, which the machine heats up (imagine a computer controlled glue gun).
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| Seldentar United States. April 28 2012 13:40. Posts 887 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 10:15 E-Coffee wrote:
Show nested quote +On April 28 2012 06:53 Defacer wrote:
On April 28 2012 06:46 SnipedSoul wrote:
Once a 3D printer makes another 3D printer we are screwed...
I was a Makerfaire where a guy had built his own 3d printer using Lego Mindstorms, which he then used to print components for a second, improved 3d printer. That was some baller nerd action.
That's only one or two steps away from skynet :S
Wait what?? How is that even possible with Mindstorms? Are you sure? O.o
I always viewed mindstorms as a cool toy for teens who are interested in robotics but can't really be used for anything advanced. |
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| v3chr0 United States. April 28 2012 13:49. Posts 855 | Profile Blog # |
Once they get these (or maybe they have already) on an Industrial Scale, wouldn't this bring the price of production down a TON? One machine that can make basically any thing you need? Seems very very convenient and efficient for mass production.
I had seen this a while ago though, the one that makes food really interests me, reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide. :D |
| | "He catches him with his pants down, backs him off into a corner, and then it's over." - Khaldor |
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| r.Evo Germany. April 28 2012 14:02. Posts 5202 | Profile # |
I'd think it's too slow for mass production compared to other technologies at the moment. I'd say the advantage lies in the ability to literally instantly make small design changes without any impact on the speed at which you produce things.
Thanks for sharing, I like where this is going. :> |
| | "We don't make mistakes here, we call it happy little accidents." ~Bob Ross |
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| Kazahk United States. April 28 2012 15:04. Posts 214 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 14:02 r.Evo wrote:
I'd think it's too slow for mass production compared to other technologies at the moment. I'd say the advantage lies in the ability to literally instantly make small design changes without any impact on the speed at which you produce things.
Thanks for sharing, I like where this is going. :>
ty :3 |
| | Avis de Hermes est nomen meum manducans pennas meas me faciant mansuescere corda. |
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| fYlddnaHturtDyaWdmAi Israel. April 28 2012 15:20. Posts 157 | Profile # |
| 3D printing has evolved so much now. Its not used for bone replacement and there was even a case where surgeons ordered for a simulation of conjoined twins with the organs to practice with the surgery. The possibilities are really limitless. |
| | "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. |
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| [V] United States. April 28 2012 15:23. Posts 905 | Profile # |
| 3D printers will one day make clone army! End of humanity. |
| | Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici |
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| Miicr0 Netherlands. April 28 2012 15:58. Posts 128 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 09:35 speknek wrote:At my uni we had this project to develop a trebuchet (within certain boundary conditions), then make it in NX (CAD software). Then all the models were sent to some Belgian company and they 3D printed all the trebuchets. The exact method was called "selective laser sintering". Afterwards a competition was held between all the groups (~20) to see which would fire a little metal bullet the furthest. This was ours, made a 3 meter shot + Show Spoiler +
Fun to see someone else. I also partook in that contest on the uni. Our trebuchet failed miserably with just a shot of approx. 1.5 meters, but it was according to calculations. Unfortunately I can't find the pictures of my groups work anymore. It really is amazing how well the printing works though. You can make working joints and bolts and the likes and it 'almost' works perfectly |
| | Learning from the best is the best way of learning... |
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| Keitzer United States. April 28 2012 16:46. Posts 2505 | Profile Blog # |
Mmmmm
not sure if i would ever buy one of these (yet)... simply because of the "why the fuck would i print anything from home?"
Just pay the extra $10 or whatever to have it processed by someone else then the other $10 to ship and you save money in the long run....
However, it's an awesome technology, just seems a bit ... slow.. if you ask me...
Cuz that's one of the awesome things about the current 2D printers... they go extremely fast...
I do realize it's many many layers, but there's probably some tweaking the engineers could work on to make it heat faster/cool faster, etc, to make the whole process much quicker, thus, more error-flexible |
| | I'm like badass squared | KeitZer.489 |
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| twofish April 29 2012 09:04. Posts 11 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 13:49 v3chr0 wrote:
Once they get these (or maybe they have already) on an Industrial Scale, wouldn't this bring the price of production down a TON? One machine that can make basically any thing you need? Seems very very convenient and efficient for mass production.
i can understand that people are dreaming about the possibilities that these machines open, but in my opinion these machines won't affect mass production in any way.
I see the primary advantage of these machines in unique parts (e.g. medicine, artificial joints, teeth etc) or low numbers. you won't suddenly print a car, because there are companies only dedicated to manufacturing cars as efficiently as possible. It won't be cheaper to print a standard screw, as dedicated machines can mass produce them much more effectively.
However I see a big advantage in fields such as prototyping (hence also the name rapid prototyping). When I was visiting BMW's Munich R&D Headquarters they had a room full of rapid prototyping machines and praised them for shortening the time&effort needed to quickly test/validate a design. That's where I see them in the near future. Also consider that you can't just "print" with any material... |
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| Kazahk United States. April 29 2012 09:42. Posts 214 | Profile # |
On April 28 2012 16:46 Keitzer wrote:
Mmmmm
not sure if i would ever buy one of these (yet)... simply because of the "why the fuck would i print anything from home?"
Just pay the extra $10 or whatever to have it processed by someone else then the other $10 to ship and you save money in the long run....
However, it's an awesome technology, just seems a bit ... slow.. if you ask me...
Cuz that's one of the awesome things about the current 2D printers... they go extremely fast...
I do realize it's many many layers, but there's probably some tweaking the engineers could work on to make it heat faster/cool faster, etc, to make the whole process much quicker, thus, more error-flexible
2D printers print pictures. 3D printers print bike's, human jaws, food etc. Why would you compare a 2D printer and a 3D printer?
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| | Avis de Hermes est nomen meum manducans pennas meas me faciant mansuescere corda. |
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| Gearuza April 29 2012 09:48. Posts 123 | Profile Blog # |
I had the goof fortune of usign one of these in a 3D modeling class. I made a simple turtle shell asa test:
![[image loading]](http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/o/2011/305/1/4/1444371a744cae5414867f5a7f83d787.jpg) |
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| Fealthas April 29 2012 10:37. Posts 548 | Profile # |
I wonder what crazy laws will star poping up after this tech becomes a bit more advanced/used.
Thanks for sharing. |
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