Overmod https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/blog/post/why-does-my-3d-printed-part-cost-so-much Sure there are machines making parts to 85% density but is that what you want? What "locomotive parts" are we talking about here? Light shades? Conecting rods? Is 85% of a connecting rod enough? tdmidget A printer capable of metal parts a foot long would be near a half million dollars. How you figure that? A laser-sintering head on a 3D gantry involves little more than the cost of the disk or fiber laser and its control supply. If you need additional braze to preclude voids in the finish structure you can spray it with an additional nozzle. Even the prototype I built for the rocket-nozzle competition did not involve substantial cost. If time is not a critical factor, even a comparatively small feed and sintering head can be placed on a large gantry to make sintered parts of large overall size ... those gantries can be found used comparatively cheaply. Now the cost of appropriate metal particulates for the substrate and braze, and arrangements for appropriate CA, is another matter. But not anywhere near a half million dollars for any practical 'civilian' part requirements...
https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/blog/post/why-does-my-3d-printed-part-cost-so-much
Sure there are machines making parts to 85% density but is that what you want? What "locomotive parts" are we talking about here? Light shades? Conecting rods? Is 85% of a connecting rod enough?
tdmidget A printer capable of metal parts a foot long would be near a half million dollars.
How you figure that? A laser-sintering head on a 3D gantry involves little more than the cost of the disk or fiber laser and its control supply. If you need additional braze to preclude voids in the finish structure you can spray it with an additional nozzle. Even the prototype I built for the rocket-nozzle competition did not involve substantial cost. If time is not a critical factor, even a comparatively small feed and sintering head can be placed on a large gantry to make sintered parts of large overall size ... those gantries can be found used comparatively cheaply.
Now the cost of appropriate metal particulates for the substrate and braze, and arrangements for appropriate CA, is another matter. But not anywhere near a half million dollars for any practical 'civilian' part requirements...
betamaxMy nephew is printing an intake manifold for his university's race car, in metal. He said the real advantage is the ability to have voids within the parts, not possible with castings. Being a race car, it only has to last one race. If it doesn't stand up, just make some changes and print another.
Being a race car, it only has to last one race. If it doesn't stand up, just make some changes and print another.
I suspect you are talking about FSAE which is a competition amongst a number of engineering schools to design, build and drive a formula specific competition vehicle - the intent is that they use everything they are being taught as well as any 'thinking outside the box' to build and develop a competition vehicle that can better all the other colleges that participate in the FSAE comptition.
Being a developmental race car - anything that goes into the car has to survive the testing and development that goes into making the car as competitive and RELIABLE is possible.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Flintlock76 Amazing, but right now I'd say they're learning to walk. In another ten years they'll be running.
Amazing, but right now I'd say they're learning to walk. In another ten years they'll be running.
UMMMMHHH ! The future for Computer repair guys??
tdmidgetA printer capable of metal parts a foot long would be near a half million dollars.
My nephew is printing an intake manifold for his university's race car, in metal. He said the real advantage is the ability to have voids within the parts, not possible with castings.
And I understand Boeing starting a year or so ago has ordered so many that its competitors have been left standing in line. Not that Boeing doesn't need every advantage possible to survive its catastrophic snafus.
Most 3D printing is done in plasics. A printer capable of metal parts a foot long would be near a half million dollars.
Wow, did you folks see this?
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/11/26-wabtec-lab-pioneering-metal-3d-printing
Opens up some interesting new approaches to Locomotive and equipment preservation. Maybe that canibalizing and old locomotive for parts to keep another in service is no longer necessary?
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