3D printing

pangolin

Seen quite a lot about this recently. Is it going to live up to the hype? Is it really about to go mainstream?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20047744

Would be so useful being able to knock up your own cleats / light mounts / garmin mounts and other various fittings that seem to cost a lot more than a chunk of plastic should.

notsoblue

http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay- ... ar-120124/

SimonAH

It is very cool technology, but even rapid prototypes made by laser sintering metal powder tend to be structurally not very strong.

You could make something that would look exactly like a cleat but would snap the first time you tried to use it.

davis

I think it will be useful, but the parts that can be printed won't (at first) be up to the strength or lightness of more traditionally made products, but they're only going to get better. I'd love a 3d printer now.

In the spirit of making stupid predictions about future technology, I believe that in 5 years' time it will be fairly commonplace, and a viable way of making individual bits for the mass-market/average consumer.

Edit: Forgot to say I've seen some fairly structurally robust things made from 3d printers a couple of years ago.

the_fuggler

Had the pleasure of touring an F1 team's factory where they used one to create models and prototypes of parts to test quickly. Awesome technology. Probably not the sort of thing you would have on your desk though.

pangolin

SimonAH wrote:

It is very cool technology, but even rapid prototypes made by laser sintering metal powder tend to be structurally not very strong.

You could make something that would look exactly like a cleat but would snap the first time you tried to use it.

Oh

TheEnglishman

A friend of a friend has a 'home' 3D printer - it was a grand and what it produces is ok but hardly what you'd call a 'polished' product

daviesee

I have experience of them in the workplace.
They are useful as demo models and possibly for making moulds but no way would I use one.
The laminates split very easily and they are heavy.

Potential but I'd say overblown at the moment.

FoldingJoe

Did anybody see the model that Stephen Fry showed on QI Xl the other night, made from a 3D printer.

That was pretty cool. Kind of a mechanical crab, thing.

The Strandbeest.

SimonAH

Indeed, very cool.

I used to have a souvenier from a rapid prototyping company on my desk (until it was pinched) of a pierced ball within a ball within a ball within a ball within a ball within a ball with each of the shells freely rotating - fantastic toy!

rjsterry

SimonAH wrote:

Indeed, very cool.

I used to have a souvenier from a rapid prototyping company on my desk (until it was pinched) of a pierced ball within a ball within a ball within a ball within a ball within a ball with each of the shells freely rotating - fantastic toy!

What're really impressive are the chinese originals on which that toy is based: hand carved from a single piece of jade or ivory. They are called Generation Balls

FJJ

I have a home made DIY 3D printer, a RepRap, still needs final tweaking and calibration to get it to produce decent quality prints.

Many of the parts it was made from were printed on another RepRap and they are of pretty high quality, I don't think the material (ABS in this case) would be up to the strength required for cleats, but for clips, garmin mounts etc. should be fine.

Wrath Rob

3D titanium printing for bike parts is already here. How long before you can print a full bike frame? A full bike?

Unfortunately my experience so far, a Garmin mount, was poor as it snapped after 2 weeks and almost killed my Garmin. I'll wait for the technology to come a little bit further before testing the water again.

JBA

This was made last year.
Apart from the tyres and belt the whole lot was 'printed' on a machine in Bristol and has been on a world tour of demos, chat shows and trade shows for the last 12 months.
It's the same company that made the Charge parts in Wrath Rob's post above and that grown metal bike may not be too far off.

I'm working there tomorrow so will see if amy of those Charge parts are still there and get some photos if they are.

JBA

Not only are the parts there, but also a very nice Charge Freezer Ti frame that is equipped with them:

pangolin

Oooh Ti Cyclocross frame you say....

Only £800 here if anyone wants a small one!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/charge/freezer-ti-2011-cyclocross-frame-ec028988

UndercoverElephant

pangolin wrote:

Oooh Ti Cyclocross frame you say....

Only £800 here if anyone wants a small one!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/charge/freezer-ti-2011-cyclocross-frame-ec028988

Showing up as £666.66 for me?

Edit: Ah, XS only.

tgotb

pangolin wrote:

Oooh Ti Cyclocross frame you say....

Only £800 here if anyone wants a small one!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/charge/freezer-ti-2011-cyclocross-frame-ec028988

Under the Questions tab someone's asked whether it comes with a fork. The reply from Evans: "This item does not come with a suspension fork."
I should hope not! Typical Evans.....