3D printing bike parts

Majski

We use 3D printing at work, but they're doing it with titanium now. Rad

http://www.bikebiz.com//news/read/charg ... m-printing

cooldad

When they can do it with bacon I'll be impressed.

mrmonkfinger

that's seriously cool (in a very geeky kind of way)

not bike related, but also 3d printed titanium:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16907104



PS, bacon

http://www.rapidreadytech.com/2012/02/printing-dinner/

R8JimBob88

They have one where my Mrs works!

cooldad

mrmonkfinger wrote:

that's seriously cool (in a very geeky kind of way)

not bike related, but also 3d printed titanium:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16907104



PS, bacon

http://www.rapidreadytech.com/2012/02/printing-dinner/

Very cool, especially the food.

mrmonkfinger

cooldad wrote:

Very cool, especially the food.

you'll know when we have reached the pinnacle of technology, when you can approach the replicator and say "tea, earl grey, hot" or "phaser"

YeehaaMcgee

mrmonkfinger wrote:

cooldad wrote:

Very cool, especially the food.

you'll know when we have reached the pinnacle of technology, when you can approach the replicator and say "tea, earl grey, hot" or "phaser"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkjbMoj0JY4

Bigchris

The future.

Daz555

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

milfredo

Daz555 wrote:

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

A friend of mine already has. So far he's printed a go-pro mount and a new buckle for his bag (that broke as soon as it was used). It took him about 5 hours to run these off but it is still really cool.

gingerrob25

We have two of the plastic 3D printers at school, made some cool stuff!

YeehaaMcgee

Daz555 wrote:

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

I'm sure people said the same about CNC machines at one time

Chunkers1980

Yes, but you have to admit, this is different?

YeehaaMcgee

Whilst I would love a 3D printer at home, since I'm no newcomer to CAD, 3D design software, or engineering and manufacturing things, I don't think there's be much point in "all" of us having one. (I'd also love a multi-axis CNC miller/lathe)
If there's a future for spare parts and such to be printed out over the net, then I'd imagine it would be far more likely that the machines would crop up in stores, like the photo-printing machines in boots and whatnot at the moment.

Daz555

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

I'm sure people said the same about CNC machines at one time

I can't imagine the market for DIY chess pieces was ever going to be all that high.

YeehaaMcgee

Daz555 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

I'm sure people said the same about CNC machines at one time

I can't imagine the market for DIY chess pieces was ever going to be all that high.

er...
So what makes this any different, from a "must have at home" standpoint.

jairaj

how much do CNC machines cost?

I think the reason behind "every home will have 3d printer" was that they are aiming to bring the cost down to only a few hundred pounds for a printer.

Although saying that people aren't going to buy something they don't need just because its affordable. :?

YeehaaMcgee

jairaj wrote:

Although saying that people aren't going to buy something they don't need just because its affordable. :?

I beg to differ - we live in such a commercialised world at the moment that people will buy thing because they're told they should have one.
I don't think there's a need to have one of these in people's households now, and I doubt there will be much call in the future

Chunkers1980

Wouldn't it be awesome if you could print a titanium paper clip.

jairaj

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

I beg to differ - we live in such a commercialised world at the moment that people will buy thing because they're told they should have one.

yeah but this slightly different. Its not like when Apple say you NEED an ipad. which is relatively simple to use. turn it on and poke it to browse the web.

Surely you're going need to know quite a bit of technical stuff eg using CAD or 3D modelling software? which I can't see the average person being bothered to learn?

what I do see happening is every high st having a shop where you can pop in give brief idea of you want and their experienced staff will create it for you. kinda like a extension of a normal printer shop that will print canvases, books, mugs etc ...

Majski

jairaj wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

I beg to differ - we live in such a commercialised world at the moment that people will buy thing because they're told they should have one.

yeah but this slightly different. Its not like when Apple say you NEED an ipad. which is relatively simple to use. turn it on and poke it to browse the web.

Surely you're going need to know quite a bit of technical stuff eg using CAD or 3D modelling software? which I can't see the average person being bothered to learn?

what I do see happening is every high st having a shop where you can pop in give brief idea of you want and their experienced staff will create it for you. kinda like a extension of a normal printer shop that will print canvases, books, mugs etc ...

If they became a household item I imagine most people wouldn't be designing custom items, rather dowloading 'blueprints' from online stores effectively letting you order something at any time day or night and have it within an hour or so.

YeehaaMcgee

jairaj wrote:

what I do see happening is every high st having a shop where you can pop in give brief idea of you want and their experienced staff will create it for you. kinda like a extension of a normal printer shop that will print canvases, books, mugs etc ...

That's pretty much exactly what I said above..

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

If there's a future for spare parts and such to be printed out over the net, then I'd imagine it would be far more likely that the machines would crop up in stores, like the photo-printing machines in boots and whatnot at the moment.

But that was inresponse to

Daz555 wrote:

Within a decade we'll all have one at home - a plastics one at least.

King_Pin_Rich

The ability to rapidly produce obscure parts is quite interesting - no need to wait 6 weeks for that broken widget in your 10yr old Chinese washing machine, just print it at your locals parts shop from the catalog..

As for Titanium and metal parts, the ability to create intricate shapes out of reach of traditional methods is certainly eye opening, however; from a material perspective the fatigue properties of such sintered parts are not well understood, in other words you won't be seeing them in any critical applications anytime soon, a 3D printed aircraft wing for example is some way off.
As for bikes, a few possible candidates spring to mind - brake calipers/lever bodys/seat bases/shifters..

VWsurfbum

Majski wrote:

We use 3D printing at work, but they're doing it with titanium now. Rad

http://www.bikebiz.com//news/read/charg ... m-printing

Ignoring what the rest of you have put, because quite frankly i dont care, this is awesome, I want one and i want to start making Ti bits at home and growing a decent beard while in my shed.

jairaj

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

That's pretty much exactly what I said above..

Oh God! Am I starting to think like Yeehaa??!!!! :shock:

*curls up in the corner shaking*

VWsurfbum

King_Pin_Rich wrote:

brake calipers/lever bodys/seat bases/shifters..

I'm a car person, first thing i thought of was engines! it would be amazing!

YeehaaMcgee

VWsurfbum wrote:

King_Pin_Rich wrote:

brake calipers/lever bodys/seat bases/shifters..

I'm a car person, first thing i thought of was engines! it would be amazing!

I think I read somewhere about some supercar that used this technology to crate a cylinder head a few years ago. Can;t for the life of me remember what it was though.

Majski

There's a TED talk somewhere about them 3D printing a car engine and managing to get loads of extra cooling channels / vents in it because of the tech

King_Pin_Rich

Apart from still be dam expensive even the most expensive SLS machines are quite limited on the size of parts they can produce, half square metre ish in volume perhaps. Large engines, unless made modular might be to large.

I think they offer huge advantages in certain fields where bespoke one-offs are required, I've heard some f1 teams develop aero parts over a season as its saves on tooling costs, same for medical implants. I've seen some cranium inserts produced this way, built to the patients exact skull shape, freaky.

Working guns have supposedly been made too. I read an article somewhere on weapons production, just think, bad guys could 'print' as many AK's as they wanted....

YeehaaMcgee

These machines have commonly been used for rapid prototyping for many many years now, the technology isn't new, but I believe the ability to produce metal items is more recent.