3D printed titanium parts

[PRNDL]

we're doin a valve cap prototype. with some aerospace technology

[-MEAT-]

Did you make that yourself G? Certainly looks like theres a bunch of custom parts in there if not.

We've got a bfb one in our office, similar but the table just moves up and down and the heads move about in the 2 other planes like a router, i think it helps with building taller parts, stops them falling over. Amazing machine, considering it cost about 800 quid or something + 2 days of assembly by 'a competent engineer'*, ours has run probably 12hrs a day since we got it in feb.



*took me 2 weeks before it was running, fuckers.

[DAKINS]

We have started using 3D printing at work for prototypes and reference models.  It's pretty cool, but it's still in it's infancy.  Once the technology matures and costs come down, then we will find out if the benefits are worthwhile.

[G]

Did you make that yourself G? Certainly looks like theres a bunch of custom parts in there if not.

We've got a bfb one in our office, similar but the table just moves up and down and the heads move about in the 2 other planes like a router, i think it helps with building taller parts, stops them falling over. Amazing machine, considering it cost about 800 quid or something + 2 days of assembly by 'a competent engineer'*, ours has run probably 12hrs a day since we got it in feb.



*took me 2 weeks before it was running, fuckers.

Built it from a kit £400. It's a Longboat Prussa. Supposed to take a couple of days to assemble and calibrate but took me more like a month, the physical assembly was easy enough but the instructions get patchy when it comes to the electronics and software etc. The kit came with bits missing and a couple of serious errors in the hot end which caused it to self destruct after about 2 hours of use... got it all tuned up now and starting to get decent prints.

Never had any parts fall over but I print on a heated glass bed (which is definitely the way to go).

There isnt a lot you can print that is strong enough to use as an actual item. I printed a super thick bashguard ring for my MTB which is holding up OK so far, and a case for some batteries, but mostly I just print mock ups of prototype parts which is enough to get a feel for the shape etc...  It is very useful to be able to print out a pedal body say and put your foot on it and feel the pins etc then make modifications and print off another version within hours..

Cool thing is that I can now print out parts for upgrading the 3D printer, added a fan since this photo (which helps a lot with print quality).


G.

[itsme]

I just saw this and thought it was neat - "Glory titanium brake lever"



seems like a waste to make the same shape as a cheap machined lever, it'd be way cooler as a mesh like this ring...


who wants to PM me a new password for my old account?

[itsme]

well my hotmail account doesn't show any messages from bikeguide now...


I thought of something earlier after seeing stuff about how when you print/sinter/deposit metal stuff, it has different properties from machined blocks, like the whole thing is made of weld bead.

There are a few companies using giant metal printers right now, that can have layers on the micron-scale, and if stuff gets better/cheaper in the future, someone will definitely try printing car/bike rims. You could do all kinds of crazy internal modeling, then polish and anodize them, and they'd be perfectly flat/true without a seam... Mag wheels in the future are going to be sweet.

Example - the giant medallion at around 2:30 in this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuXvZt887D8 - plus the fact that the materials cost for the mesh hand was less than 80 dollars.


giant bead-layer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A10XEZvkgbY


...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLndYWw5_y8
 

I wish I had a billion dollars.

[alaskun]

video - VRZ 2 BELT 3D printed titanium lugged carbon bike by ralf holleis

http://cargocollective.com/vorwaertz/BIKES

http://www.core77.com/blog/digital_fabrication/3d-printed_bike_porn_ralf_holleiss_carbon_fiber_vrz_2_track_with_titanium_lugs_and_dropouts_24937.asp







The truss-like stem








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJwcnV-wso

"Empire MX-6 all-mountain bike gets complete 3D printed frame"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/539450/chris-froome-s-pinarello-dogma-65-1.html
"Printed titanium chain-catcher"

https://default.secure.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11141/00000aeb8/e52c/Raceware-chain-catcher.jpg

http://www.machinery-market.co.uk/images/photos/1691.jpg
Additive manufacturing success - New company is using this technology to produce plastic and titanium parts for racing bicycles

http://www.flyingmachine.com.au/2014/01/3d-printed-titanium-bike-of-the-future/

I don't understand why so much of the bike stuff goes uncolored...




"Scientists have 3D printed giant titanium bugs..."




"Australian scientists have created a customized set of purple titanium shoes for a Melbourne race horse using 3D printing."

[Admiral Ackbar]

read something the other day about f1 teams and aircraft manufacturers using 3d printing for components. not on a large scale, but still very cool. int he next few years i bet well start seeing a lot of 3d printed big bike stuff

[farva]

G, would you be able to do that honeycomb interior with a cast part?

In the video of the dropouts he specifically claims that they couldnt have made those dropouts any other way and yet that is rubbish. You could investment cast them for a relatively low tool cost.

i clicked on this topic specifically to see the rant that i knew you would put in here.  You dont know that for a fact, that is speculation.  Just because you have some sort of cut rate 3-d printer at home doesnt make you any kind of expert in the field, nor does reading about it in forums or internet articles.  Any time i see a topic about something new that you are doing it is you talking about how it is the best thing around and every time i see a topic about a new process that you didnt adopt it is bashed on or questioned.  get over yourself.

[alaskun]

read something the other day about f1 teams and aircraft manufacturers using 3d printing for components. not on a large scale, but still very cool. int he next few years i bet well start seeing a lot of 3d printed big bike stuff

http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3DPrintingArticles/ArticleID/6265/3D-Printing-of-Titanium-Aluminide-Turbochargers-A-Turbocharge-For-Arcam-AB-Earnings.aspx

http://www.prototypetoday.com/eos/race-cars-weight-cut-by-10-using-laser-sintered-titanium-inconel-and-alumide










Additive manufacturing improves properties of race car aluminium steering knuckle




http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130529-china-shows-off-world-largest-3d-printed-titanium-fighter-component.html




http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130304-j-15-chief-architect-3d-printing-used-in-developing-new-fighter-jet.html

Chief Architect Cong Sun recently unveiled that 3D printing has been widely used in designing and producing of the newest J-15 prototype which had its first successful test in October 2012. 3D printing has been used to manufacture critical titanium alloy load-bearing structure on the aircraft, including the entire nose landing gear.

China aims to become a leader in commercializing 3D printing technology to manufacture titanium parts in aviation industry. The laser additive manufacturing technology could save 90% of raw material, and the cost is only 5% of the traditional method - for example, the cost of a part made with traditional technology is 25 million RMB (4 million USD), but using laser additive manufacturing technology the cost is only 1.3 million (210K USD). Because no tooling is required, the processing charge is also just 10% of the orginal.

http://microfabricator.com/articles/view/id/52b5ef029aad9d345f000004/uk-unveils-1-2m-titanium-wingspar-3d-printed-in-one-piece



there's no way there aren't giant 3d printing bays in space pumping out blacker-than-black/invisible ti fighters...

[alaskun]

Make one of these, George...

"Video of Low-Cost Open-Source 3D Metal Printing v.1 2013"

Open access: https://www.academia.edu/5327317/A_Low-Cost_Open-Source_Metal_3-D_Printer

Free designs: http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_metal_3-D_printer

Sigma Labs & Michigan Tech to develop low cost 3D metal printer

Dec.23, 2013

Sigma Labs, a developer of real-time quality inspection systems for 3D metal printing, today announced the development of technology to support a low-cost, 3D metal printer based on arc welding technology. As part of this initiative, Sigma Labs has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) to collaborate technically in the development of technology for a low-cost, 3D metal printer for near-net shape parts that require only 3- or 5-axis machining to take the parts to final form.

"Michigan Tech has recently developed an open source 3D printer based on gas metal arc welding technology. Sigma Labs has a unique knowledge base in advanced sensing and process control for gas metal arc welding." said Mark Cola, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sigma Labs.

Sigma Labs, Inc. has two wholly-owned subsidiaries – B6 Sigma, Inc. and Sumner & Lawrence Limited (dba Sumner Associates). B6 Sigma develops precision manufacturing solutions and advanced materials technologies, as well as R&D solutions.

"Along with strategic partners, we intend to develop, test, and launch a customized, low-cost 3D printing solution for metals like titanium, steel, aluminum, and nickel-based alloys." Cola states. "Our low-cost printing technology is directly focused at servicing the currently untapped market of tens of thousands of users presently dissuaded by the high-cost, barriers to entry of 3D laser powder-bed solutions. Lastly, we have identified manufacturing sources capable of producing our low-cost 3D printing technology."


You Can Now 3D Print with Metal at Home

Scientists build a $1,500 open-source 3D metal printer

...and then burn your house down

[edge]

G, would you be able to do that honeycomb interior with a cast part?

In the video of the dropouts he specifically claims that they couldnt have made those dropouts any other way and yet that is rubbish. You could investment cast them for a relatively low tool cost.

i clicked on this topic specifically to see the rant that i knew you would put in here.  You dont know that for a fact, that is speculation.  Just because you have some sort of cut rate 3-d printer at home doesnt make you any kind of expert in the field, nor does reading about it in forums or internet articles.  Any time i see a topic about something new that you are doing it is you talking about how it is the best thing around and every time i see a topic about a new process that you didnt adopt it is bashed on or questioned.  get over yourself.

You don't have to be an expert in the field of 3D printing to know about casting do you... Unless there is something crazy inside those dropouts they're not showing, they would be very simple to cast.

edit: Also, those massive chinese aircraft parts are crazy, it's cool to see people pushing the boundaries of real uses for 3D printing rather than just making funky shaped small parts.

[G]

G, would you be able to do that honeycomb interior with a cast part?

In the video of the dropouts he specifically claims that they couldnt have made those dropouts any other way and yet that is rubbish. You could investment cast them for a relatively low tool cost.

i clicked on this topic specifically to see the rant that i knew you would put in here.  You dont know that for a fact, that is speculation.  Just because you have some sort of cut rate 3-d printer at home doesnt make you any kind of expert in the field, nor does reading about it in forums or internet articles.  Any time i see a topic about something new that you are doing it is you talking about how it is the best thing around and every time i see a topic about a new process that you didnt adopt it is bashed on or questioned.  get over yourself.

So you are freely admitting that your only reason for posting in this thread is to troll?... and you call MY post a rant?


G.

[G]

Make one of these, George...

"Video of Low-Cost Open-Source 3D Metal Printing v.1 2013"

Open access: https://www.academia.edu/5327317/A_Low-Cost_Open-Source_Metal_3-D_Printer

Free designs: http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_metal_3-D_printer

Sigma Labs & Michigan Tech to develop low cost 3D metal printer

Dec.23, 2013

Sigma Labs, a developer of real-time quality inspection systems for 3D metal printing, today announced the development of technology to support a low-cost, 3D metal printer based on arc welding technology. As part of this initiative, Sigma Labs has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) to collaborate technically in the development of technology for a low-cost, 3D metal printer for near-net shape parts that require only 3- or 5-axis machining to take the parts to final form.

"Michigan Tech has recently developed an open source 3D printer based on gas metal arc welding technology. Sigma Labs has a unique knowledge base in advanced sensing and process control for gas metal arc welding." said Mark Cola, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sigma Labs.

Sigma Labs, Inc. has two wholly-owned subsidiaries – B6 Sigma, Inc. and Sumner & Lawrence Limited (dba Sumner Associates). B6 Sigma develops precision manufacturing solutions and advanced materials technologies, as well as R&D solutions.

"Along with strategic partners, we intend to develop, test, and launch a customized, low-cost 3D printing solution for metals like titanium, steel, aluminum, and nickel-based alloys." Cola states. "Our low-cost printing technology is directly focused at servicing the currently untapped market of tens of thousands of users presently dissuaded by the high-cost, barriers to entry of 3D laser powder-bed solutions. Lastly, we have identified manufacturing sources capable of producing our low-cost 3D printing technology."


You Can Now 3D Print with Metal at Home

Scientists build a $1,500 open-source 3D metal printer

...and then burn your house down

That looks promising. Be interesting to know what the resolution is like. The sample sprocket they have there has a big gap in it where the slicing software has "decided" that there isnt room for another perimeter which is like what happens when you print small sprockets on any machine where the resolution is a bit low for the part, so suggests it is very early days and very low res., but be good to play with. $2k is probably a bit on the optimistic side given that a cheap MIG welder would probably burn out after 10mins of continuous use like this (unless that price doesn't include the welder). 


G.

[farva]

G, would you be able to do that honeycomb interior with a cast part?

In the video of the dropouts he specifically claims that they couldnt have made those dropouts any other way and yet that is rubbish. You could investment cast them for a relatively low tool cost.

i clicked on this topic specifically to see the rant that i knew you would put in here.  You dont know that for a fact, that is speculation.  Just because you have some sort of cut rate 3-d printer at home doesnt make you any kind of expert in the field, nor does reading about it in forums or internet articles.  Any time i see a topic about something new that you are doing it is you talking about how it is the best thing around and every time i see a topic about a new process that you didnt adopt it is bashed on or questioned.  get over yourself.

So you are freely admitting that your only reason for posting in this thread is to troll?... and you call MY post a rant?


G.

is that not exactly what i called you out for doing.  G views thread topics... "what can i try to correct people on"