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Large Scale 3D Printing/ Multi Medium 3D printing

Former Member

I am seeing a lot of different 3D printers and all of wich are more compact and made to print small objects.  What i am wanting to know are there 3D printers that can be made for the home that can print large scale objects and if there are not then how can i build one of my own for printing large scale objects?   Another question i have is are there mediums other then plastic that can be used to print 3d objects and how can we get our hands on this kind of printing hardware to print objects out of metal and other mediums?  Thank you for reading and i look forward to your answers and replys.

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    Nathanial,

     

    There are a number of printers in the consumer/home arena that can print in more than melted thermoplastics. The Fab@Home and even RepRaps with a Universal Paste Extruder (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20733) designed by my co-author for the upcoming "3D Printing for Dummies" book will let you print in gels and semi-liquid materials (foods like masa and chocolate, ceramic pastes or even bioprinted living tissues). Hyrel 3D has a extrusion-screw system that can print in peanut butter, Play-Doh, Skulpey clay, etc. For metals, you get into more professional systems due to the safety concerns. As to large build volumes, there are printers based on the same general design being tested to print concrete to build an entire building or melted lunar regolith (the dust on the moon) to create the next lunar base using solar power. One designer at MIT's Media Lab built a Solar Sinter that fused sand particles into a basic glass using nothing more than a big lens and solar heat to create objects.

     

    VR,

     

    Kalani Kirk Hausman

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    Nathanial,

     

    There are a number of printers in the consumer/home arena that can print in more than melted thermoplastics. The Fab@Home and even RepRaps with a Universal Paste Extruder (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:20733) designed by my co-author for the upcoming "3D Printing for Dummies" book will let you print in gels and semi-liquid materials (foods like masa and chocolate, ceramic pastes or even bioprinted living tissues). Hyrel 3D has a extrusion-screw system that can print in peanut butter, Play-Doh, Skulpey clay, etc. For metals, you get into more professional systems due to the safety concerns. As to large build volumes, there are printers based on the same general design being tested to print concrete to build an entire building or melted lunar regolith (the dust on the moon) to create the next lunar base using solar power. One designer at MIT's Media Lab built a Solar Sinter that fused sand particles into a basic glass using nothing more than a big lens and solar heat to create objects.

     

    VR,

     

    Kalani Kirk Hausman

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