Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Has anyone considered using a 3D printer to make jet parts? I have a friend who is an engineer at Burton Snow Boards. They have one. They can grow a part and have it on the slopes the next day for tests. Seems like it would work good for us:

http://www.dimensionprinting.com/

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

yes we are thinking getting one , for prototyping saves me a lot of programing time and waste of expensive alloy,s.
mmm can we print ARF,s?:D

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Ive seen similar products and yes they work.. On the other hand they are very expensive considering what your making. Its cheaper to do a 3d cad drawing and send it of and have it made for you.

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

true but that takes extra time no?
what is the expensive part the abs stuff?

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Yes it takes extra time. You still have to draw up the part etc so there is no savings there. The materials aren't all the expensive from what I remember. The expense is the initial purchase of the device.

Rapid prototyping machines come in various forms and some are cheaper than others. It depends on what your needs are as to how extensive or costly you need.

I do love the finished products. If I were doing it for my own model and it wasn't a pert I could reproduce with out great difficulty I'd draw the part in 3D cadd and shop for someone to make it on the net. Lots cheaper that way.

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

14K (cost of the desktop unit) is pocket change for some of the folks on RCU. Just think, you could create your own pilots, cockpits, vents, molds, wheel covers, templates for formers, the list goes on and on... One could sell the parts to pay for the machine.

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

14K maybe be pocket change but you still need the skills to make everything work. Not saying that's too difficult its just another part of the mix.

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

I have a Dimension 1200es in my office. I use it weekly and love it!

Dimension uses FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). The material is ABS. The parts themselves are quite good - However, they need benching (filling and sanding) if you want a smooth surface. The FDM process leaves light ridges and patterns on the part.

The material comes in a cartridge that yeilds 56 cu. in. of build. You also need the Support Material cartridge (again, 56 cu. in.).

Each cartridge, material and support, costs $250 USD.

The Dimension 1200 printers build on a disposable 10" x 10" platform which you need to replace every time you use the machine. Each platform costs $5.25 USD.

I have an uber-scale 1/9 cockpit designed and ready for my Y/A F-15. I've also designed a set of scale strut details, antennae, missile details, launcher details, etc for the Eagle.

It's a great tool and time saver, but you also have to include the price of a CAD seat, cleaning station, maintenance suite and disposables into the cost equation.

Cheers,

Craig

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Double Post

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

What would you estimate the all up cost to be in your case?

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

The initial machine purchase:

Dimension 1200: $29,750 (2007 pricing)
Parts Cleaning station: $3200
Two cartridges each (matl & Support): $1000
Case of platforms (24): $125
Maintenance (1 yr.): $4500

Machine Total: ~$38,500


Add the cost of a Cad seat (or the cost of a CAD design/freelancer) that will output .stl files (Solid Works, AutoCAD, et.al.)


Cheers,

Craig

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Hi Craig,

Do you find the FDM to be able to produce the same level of detail of a straight (modern) stereo lithography setup?

The SLA would be used as a mold master, not for final parts. I want to use it for cockpit parts as well.

We have gone through 2 lasers on our big one at work and we will not get another (40K each with labor). There is so much over capacity here that it is cheaper to vend out the jobs.

Regards,

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Hi Matt,

Unfortunately no. SLA is still the hands-down winner at the fine detail level. FDM is best used for fit and function where SLA is perfect for form and asthetics. Today's SLA machines, like 3D Systems Viper, are phenominal!
I can comisurate with you the costs of laser replacement. Not cheap!


Cheers,

Craig

RE: Grow Jet Parts with a 3D Printer
 

Where I work, we have 2 small SLA machines, a large SLA machine that can handle about 19"x19"x12", an FDM machine that is a bit smaller, and another machine that works off of a fused powder concept (forgot the process name). In my opinion, the best machine for the hobbyist would be the SLA (Stereolithography) machine, for making patterns for eventual molds, or for small non-loaded parts. I'll never get a chance to use the machines for my part making though... [:@]

The machines get very pricey. Plus, the resins have a shelf life, and if you're not kicking out the parts on a regular basis, you may find yourself tossing out expired resin by the gallons... The resin is not cheap.

Most SLA parts need to be post cured with a UV source to increase the strength. If anyone is interested in what kind of quality can be made, and are considering the purchase of one of these machines, I'd highly recommend making a cad file of a part you need, and sending the file to some of the several SLA rapid prototyping shops out there. One I've used is www.quick parts.com . (get rid of the spaces in the address) There are several other sources out there. Do a search on SLA, rapid, part, quote, etc.