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3D Printer - Solid Models


cygnusx1

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There are several Rapid Prototyping systems with several mediums. When I was in school, Mechanical Engineering, during 2000-2003 I was exposed to several.

 

I have seen a liquid that is solidified by laser, a several plastics powders that were solidified by laser, two metallic that where solidified by laser. The system was 17in circular with a 12 in drop tray and the parts were to within .005 inches tolerances.

 

There are wax printer like huge inkjet plotters that build up a casting model to be encased in ceramics then melted out, lost wax casting, the larges I have seen was 24X24X24 the larger castings where hand assembled form multiple sections.

 

One of the coolest was a laser deposition system that was based off of a water jet cutter. It could deposit Parent Material back onto a machined surface with almost almost no measurable difference in material structure and no heat affected zones. I saw it apply 0.1 inch of parent material to an over machined injection mold the mold was then properly machined. This is done by taking parent material of the mold and grinding it into a micron fine powder or by mixing the proper base elements of the parent material in proper proportions so that when inject into the laser beam by intent gas the material was liquefied and deposited on the surface in the same material structure of the parent piece.

 

In the SAE club we used several lost wax molds to make blanks to machine for our Baja buggy.

 

This stuff is way cool and very fun to work with.

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OMG!!! Endless possibilities..

 

Cyg. You were asking about your second plane on wattflyer. Here you go. Why not just draw it up, print it, fly it!

 

Don't think that the thought didn't cross my mind! I cant wait to start making all those Solidworks wheels I designed. :wink:

 

It prints in full color as well! We are trying to get it approved for next years budget plan.

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I'm working at UW to fix a SolidScape ModelMaker II.

 

The element for the supporting material has gone out, making the models it can make rather... boring.

 

We're also building a new one, to be accurate within a micron, but I can't tell you any more than that :)

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