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But the 'good' applications (printing dashboards, prosthetics, ...) aren't done on Makerbot type printers. I was at a major 3d printing house a few weeks ago, w

by roel_v 12y ago

But the 'good' applications (printing dashboards, prosthetics, ...) aren't done on Makerbot type printers. I was at a major 3d printing house a few weeks ago, where they print e.g. prosthetics. They print metal (!), huge components for cars, a bunch of things - but the technology is very different from a Makerbot type printer; something that can never be in regular people's houses, it takes too much specialist framing etc. I mean, nobody says 'with the advent of CNC, people will make their own break grips!'. No they won't, they'll order them from somebody who CNC's it for them - just like 3d printing factories will print stuff for people. Well maybe some people would print a gun here or there...

narag 12y ago
but the technology is very different from a Makerbot type printer; something that can never be in regular people's houses, it takes too much specialist framing etc. When you say "the technology" do you mean some commercial product or ad-hoc assembled equipment? Could they be more accesible dropping some "very pro" requirements?
- roel_v 12y ago
  For example, one printer I saw used laser sintering (sp?) Basically you have a big box of powder which is shot at by a laser, solidifying the powder at the locations the laser hits it. Afterwards the remaining powder is sucked out and the object remains. The results is a much more solid construction than what you get with 'shooting' small blobs of molten plastic like a makerbot does. But the process is a lot more messy, and a lot more dangerous too.
fudged71 12y ago
"the 'good' applications (printing dashboards, prosthetics, ...) aren't done on Makerbot type printers" That's false. A lot of prosthetics are being printed on Makerbots.
- roel_v 12y ago
  Well I'm not sure if 'a lot' of prosthetics are being printed on Makerbots, but I did indeed misspoke (if you're talking about 'external' replacement limbs) - what I was referring to were 3d printed implanted replacement parts, like hip bones etc. Language mixup - we use the same word in Dutch for both. If you're saying that people are printing implants with Makerbot-type printers, that's new to me - I'd love to read about how they do it and I'd appreciate a link.

by roel_v 12y ago

narag 12y ago

but the technology is very different from a Makerbot type printer; something that can never be in regular people's houses, it takes too much specialist framing etc. When you say "the technology" do you mean some commercial product or ad-hoc assembled equipment? Could they be more accesible dropping some "very pro" requirements?

roel_v 12y ago
For example, one printer I saw used laser sintering (sp?) Basically you have a big box of powder which is shot at by a laser, solidifying the powder at the locations the laser hits it. Afterwards the remaining powder is sucked out and the object remains. The results is a much more solid construction than what you get with 'shooting' small blobs of molten plastic like a makerbot does. But the process is a lot more messy, and a lot more dangerous too.

fudged71 12y ago

"the 'good' applications (printing dashboards, prosthetics, ...) aren't done on Makerbot type printers" That's false. A lot of prosthetics are being printed on Makerbots.

roel_v 12y ago
Well I'm not sure if 'a lot' of prosthetics are being printed on Makerbots, but I did indeed misspoke (if you're talking about 'external' replacement limbs) - what I was referring to were 3d printed implanted replacement parts, like hip bones etc. Language mixup - we use the same word in Dutch for both. If you're saying that people are printing implants with Makerbot-type printers, that's new to me - I'd love to read about how they do it and I'd appreciate a link.