Plaster casting printer!!!

[FJ and G]

I watched a neat History Channel show last nite about how skyscrapers are built, from digging the hole to putting the beams together. Very very good.

They also showed how the concept among competiting firms is modeled---very very important to getting the contract!

In addition to professional modelers who use some of the same mediums and technques you and I use, there is also an expensive printer that instead of spraying ink from a jet, shoots plaster.

You first get the structure designed in your CAD program, then instruct it to print. The printer sprays out the plaster to the shape, size and thickness you specify and it is moistened and hardens and comes out on a tray. The printer even resembles a traditional printer.

Boy oh boy, that was interesting and exciting to a modeler like myself, tho I can never afford one.

BTW, the rest of the special was quite interesting. Did you know that back around 1930, the Empire State Bldg was put up in 16 months--that's a lot less time than the current CalTrans building being built. And the workers walked on beams w/no safety gear------about 10% Mohawk Indians.

Dave Vergun

[cnw1995]

Dave, one of the interesting sub-categories I've been tracking is the creation of 'printers' that can also output different types of formed plastics - used in designing interesting circuits as well as other industrial models - sort of like a 3-D CAD output - A buddy of mine who works with one calls it a wishing machine because it can create a small copy of just about any inanimate solid. He uses this to plot out castings to be made of iron. There's also some items in the automotive press about these machines replacing the clay and plastic modeling for new car models.

[FJ and G]

Doug,

Didn't know about the plastics printers. Watching American Chopper (OCC) on cable and they purchased a computer connected to a contraption that slices thru steel to custom-shape parts for motorcycles. Way cool!

Now, if the price ever comes down enough ... :-)

[cnw1995]

Funny how this works. In this morning's Chicago Tribune, there's a big article in the business section on these printers. One has to login to the Trib site to read it but I expect you can find it on Google News - search by writer Dennis Nishi or under the term ' rapid prototyping ' Has major ramifications for hobbies such as ours. Expected to be consumer-friendly in a decade - that's a long way out - first phase (now) companies such as PTE Distribution gives consumers access to this tech. in a retail environment, 2nd phase: professionals use these more in their home offices (already have them in offices; 3rd phase, components get cheap enough to go under $500. Currently $25K - mostly work with resins and plastics. Can see one of these replacing the tooling costs for new engine and rolling stock shells. Then one will download 'action figures' and print them out.

[Anonymous]

I work as a design & technology teacher in the UK and we have one of these 3d printers in school. It prints using ABS plastic laid down in quarter millimetre layers and produces some fantastic models. The machine we have is called a Dimension 3D printer and I believe it comes from the USA. The students working on our product design “A-Level” course, that’s 16 – 18 year olds use CAD, in our case Truespace – again from the USA, to design new products which are then printed in component form. We can even include plastic threads so that parts can be screwed together.

My school is an all girls grammar school in Plymouth which has what we call “Technology College Status” and I teach the 3D CAD and CAM. In the interest of developing the use of the printer, I am of course in the process of producing some small items for the railway (railroad).

I must admit though that my favourite machine is our laser cutter that does a great job with wood and plastics. I’m making some great pine fencing at the moment.
[:)][wow]