In sci.physics Jeff Findley wrote:
In article ,
says...
3D printing requires special raw stock manufactured just for 3D printing
no matter what the print material is.
3D printing is slow and expensive compared to any other method of making
parts so only become economical if the part in question is so complex that
3D printing it is cheaper than any other method.
Actually if the 3D printed part replaces many other parts (e.g.
SuperDraco engines) then it's faster to print than it is to manufacture
and assemble all those other parts. But that does fall under your "so
complex" exception because in that case it is cheaper to print than try
to use other manufacturing techniques.
In aerospace, think things like liquid fueled rocket engine combustion
chambers with lots of tiny internal cooling passages. Those are a
p.i.t.a. to make using conventional manufacturing techniques, but a
breeze to 3D print.
And the total market for such things is a tiny fraction of all things
manufactured, or even of all 4 slice toasters manufactured.
The cost and speed of 3D printing will obviously never match that of
stamping out sheet metal, casting, or NC machining.
For "trivial" parts, that is true. I installed a new garage door at
home a few weeks ago. Lots of stamped sheet metal parts there, even the
hinges.
My estimate is that for all things manufactured parts that can be made
cheaper and faster by conventional means amount to about 99.99%.
But progress is being made in the field. GE is working on producing a
3D printer capable of printing 1 meter x 1 meter x 1 meter parts. This
is coming from its aircraft engine division. 3D printing is a very hot
topic these days.
Yes, for very complex parts that would otherwise have to be made in
pieces then somehow assempled.
Exactly.
Also, the other option that 3D printing opens up is more shape optimized
parts. These things are optimized so that "useless" mass is simply gone
from the design. They tend to look "organic" rather than "machined" due
to their complex shapes. I've heard this called "light-weighting" parts
from management types.
And about the only place where weight matters that much is in things
that fly and in that case useless mass is already gone from the design
without the expense of 3D printing.
Have you ever looked at the interior structures of an aircraft?
3D printing is, and always will be, a niche manufacturing method.
Handy at times, but certainly not a world changer.
Jeff
--
Jim Pennino