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The future of 3D printing?

element14Dave

Being a bit of a tech nerd (or "wannabe" tech nerd at least) there aren't a whole lot of subjects that get my brain going like the technology of 3D printing. Granted the technology has been around for some time now, but it seems like in the last 18 months or so this technology has picked up quite a bit of momentum. From 3D printed guns to 3D printed body parts, manufacturing efficiencies to challenges to intellectual property law 3D printing has become a polarizing subject in the headlines of bloggers, tech mags and mainstream media. Some questions I have personally been working through and would love the perspective of the community are: How do you think the world will be affected by 3D printing (if at all)? Are the concerns around 3D printed weapons and intellectual property infringements merited, the result of media sensationalism, or somewhere in between? Is 3D printing the catalyst to the "New Industrial Revolution"? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments on this subject.

  • 0 in reply to DAB

    DAB,

    We've been doing lost-PLA casting experiments out herein SF and we read through the MSDS on PLA with care.  The off-gassing from this process, at least in our reading, isn't that bad compared with most everything else you'd do around a foundry.  I grant you that the MSDS for burning PLA outlines specific emmissions like:

    (*) Carbon-dioxide

    (*) Carbon-monoxide

    (*) Aldehydes

     

    ...but I think wax throws off this same stuff too, no?

     

    Anyway, when we get some good results of 3D-printed PLA that we turn into metal objects via casting; we'll post some pix here so you can see results.

     

    Kevin

  • 0 in reply to DAB

    Dab, thanks for the heads up. Yes, the gas would be an issue and could ruin the cast. I was thinking thin walled tube structures so there is much less to burn.  I do all my casting outside and yes its plenty dangerous already so experiments should be carefully thought out. Some of the hobby casters are a bit gungho but that's not my style.

     

    There's also a lot that can be done with conventional patterns, 3d printing those is a lot easier than making from wood.  I need some good weather to cast with the ones I've had printed, already.