Re: Do it yourself parts?

Posted by HH56 On 2012/3/31 15:52:54

Didn't say it would work today. A year ago they generally had a process that would build up layer by layer in a bed of material. Used a laser to either melt the materials or a glue to adhere the powder one layer to the next. Input was by 3D laser scans or direct CAD/CAM programs. The setup is fairly large and expensive.

The machine in that video looks to be working like an ink jet printer with a liquid casting material and appears considerably faster. Much less expensive at, I believe he said, around $1300. Supposedly available next month. He said the input for a couple of the items shown was via a program utilizing ordinary photos. I'm just saying that at that rate of advancement, it won't be that long before something is available for our needs.

As to quality, a good point and probably still a while off. They are making durable stainless and bronze small run "castings" for high detail or "artistic" type cabinet knobs using the first machine method. Those "plastic" machine copy items are placed in a bed of special refactory powder. Under heat, the plastic disappears and is replaced in a perfect reproduction by metal powder which was melted with the heat and absorbed in the empty space as the plastic vaporizes--sort of like the lost wax process used in conventional casting. Difference is instead of a sculptor or pattern maker having to do a master for making individual molds, and then making the molds and melting and pouring the metal, the computer does the heavy lifting with half the processes. Might work for the ign bezel as it is now, but not sure I'd want it on any critical items.