3-D printed propeller

[Eigenvector]

That WAS cool............however, as an engineer that still runs in these circles, IMHO that was an advertisement for AutoDesk Corp and Univ. Michigan.


From my perspecive it was the "Art to Part" marketing. Ie autocad inventor, using their CNC plug in to generate the tool path, to run the robotic mig welder. Sloooooooooow.


In a production environment, I'd put a router head on the robot and "Subtractively Manufacture" a plug for investment casting at a removal rate of probably 1 cc / sec. Not additively at 4 cc / min.



Don't get me wrong, I've dealt with this techology since the 90's. It's been around that long but just hasn't been mainstream or affordable. It has its place in certain applications, but mainly (plastic units) for consumer products that are asthetically driven (for review and approval) or very specialized one off stuff where the cost drives the fabrication.


As A64pilot states there is a place for these in turbine blade manufacturing and other places. This is mainly due to the laser welded properties being that of forged blade properties and the addition of cooling passages that cannon be achieved by the normal forging and casting processes. However, these processes are slow on the order of 1 cc / min on a 1 millon dollar machine working in an argon environment.


CNC mills, lathes, lasers etc have a lot of years ahead of them for production parts and don't have to worry about being replaced by 3D printers.


If I was into model trains I'd probably buy one. I could make some cool stuff. But until then I'll keep my "Subtractive" CNC equipment.


PS. I know companies that own them, they are more expensive than a sailbot to maintain.


Just my 2 pesos.

[Franziska]

@Eigenvector

Regarding Autodesk PR project, totally agree and is also what I thought when I saw this.
Cost saving was not the driving factor, but PR was.

[zboss]

Composite material parts printed are stronger and lighter than their molded or cast parts and are very much affordable and in commercial use. My dentist prints composite material dental caps in minutes while you wait in the chair. They come out perfect. Soon, whole composite hulls will be printed, complete with integrated ballast, bulkheads, and furniture built to custom specifications by far fewer personnel than are now required to build a boat. I can’t see why competing companies couldn’t just outsource the production of the hull to single company that specializes in this construction so they don’t have to make the investment themselves.