Just print them!

www.newscientist.com/article/dn20737-3d-printing-the-worlds-first-printed-plane/?ignored=irrelevant

i worked with rapid prototyping 3D printing before, but i wasn't aware that they can print titanium structures now...

wonder what a printed fin would cost?

Boogie

At the moment probably a lot, but in a few years time who knows?

The budget for the Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft (Sulsa) was £5000,

How is the trip going Mike?

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yoyo said...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

How is the trip going Mike?

Had a great time Dave, Ceduna tonight WA somewhere tomorrow.
Catch you next week some time.

that's amazing, i wonder how long it will be before they start making body parts using some of this technology(if they arn't already)

Choco, they are already...

The most promising is where they make a scaffold of the required part (with 3D printer) in a biodegradable material then infuse it with the recipients own stem cells. The stem cells convert to the appropriate cells to become the require part.

3d printers are awesome! we had one in the office i worked in in london for printing early conceptual building designs.

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C3 said...

i worked with rapid prototyping 3D printing before, but i wasn't aware that they can print titanium structures now...

wonder what a printed fin would cost?

Boogie

'Bumped into a guy earlier this year who's been working on this kind of stuff - think they were using aluminium.

Am guessing it's not so much the cost that would be the issue in getting something made; I'm thinking it'd be getting access to a machine in the first place. Everybody under the sun would be wanting to get something made!

You never know though; from the article it sounds like this is something people have been playing with for quite some time now; Boogie - any idea how many 3D printing machine's are out there?

What I'd like to know though is just how accurate they can make it using fusion of adjacent particles; you'd have to get the intensity/generation of heat and movement/time over one spot of the laser/electron beam absolutely spot-on otherwise the melted molecules could leak elsewhere before recrystallising?

'Still, even if the surface is a bit rough, there's always the good 'ol wet-n-dry!

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The Waterboy said...

C3 said...

i worked with rapid prototyping 3D printing before, but i wasn't aware that they can print titanium structures now...

wonder what a printed fin would cost?

Boogie

'Bumped into a guy earlier this year who's been working on this kind of stuff - think they were using aluminium.

Am guessing it's not so much the cost that would be the issue in getting something made; I'm thinking it'd be getting access to a machine in the first place. Everybody under the sun would be wanting to get something made!

You never know though; from the article it sounds like this is something people have been playing with for quite some time now; Boogie - any idea how many 3D printing machine's are out there?

What I'd like to know though is just how accurate they can make it using fusion of adjacent particles; you'd have to get the intensity/generation of heat and movement/time over one spot of the laser/electron beam absolutely spot-on otherwise the melted molecules could leak elsewhere before recrystallising?

'Still, even if the surface is a bit rough, there's always the good 'ol wet-n-dry!

the bigger commercial machines are pretty accurate.
when i was designing the Maui Sails booms and the plastic injection parts for it, we got the frontend made as a rapid prototype in ABS plastic to check for functionality before committing to the very expensive plastic injection mold for this complex part. i think the rapid proto was around $1000 and that is six or seven years ago now.
there are tons of these 3D printers out there now as the price is coming down rapidly.
you can even get a 3DP DIY kit for $1300
www.makerbot.com/

Boogie

Just watched some of those Makerbot videos, pretty cool stuff

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C3 said...
....you can even get a 3DP DIY kit for $1300

Boogie

Like Homer says: "OoooooOOoooooh!!!!".

Thanks Boogie.

But hang on, how on earth am I going to cram one of these things into the shed (on top of everything else)?

Aha!

I know: I'll just print out a new (and bigger) shed!!!

Cheers!

Yes great idea Waterboy - Someone can buy a printer and just print a copy of the printer which could then print another printer.

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choco said...

that's amazing, i wonder how long it will be before they start making body parts using some of this technology(if they arn't already)

A few mates from work developed this:



Technology is on our side regarding injuries! (just need a few more years).

We use rapid proto's quite a bit at work, nothing worse than having dodgy CAD geometry stuff up some good tool steel.