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3D Printing Madness — Parallax Forums

3D Printing Madness

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2014-02-02 03:51 in General Discussion
The world has officially gone mad with 3D printing, even if it is slower, costlier, and more tedious than doing something by hand. Give me perfboard and lead solder (!) or give me death!

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printing-3D-Print-A-Solderless-Circuit-Board/step2/Materials-and-Tools/

Comments

  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,107
    edited 2013-12-20 08:47
    It is interesting that we will sometimes do something simply for the sake of doing it.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-12-20 09:01
    I'm all for being the first guy in the pool for most things, and there is no doubt that 3d printing will open up a lot of doors. As always, there's a right tool for the right job. Maybe it will lead to something better. IIRC, 3M post-it notes were initially deemed a failure. :)
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2013-12-20 14:02
    With the channels he's using he gets approx 1Ohm/inch of track. That's actually not that bad, and for short tracks he an probably go down to a quarter of that cross-section.

    If you can add a second printhead to deposit the conductive ink, and some sort of Pick&Place machinery, it should be possible to make pretty complex circuitry that way. It should even be possible to do multilayer designs, or true 3D circuits if you want. (Why should all ICs have to be horisontal?) Just remember to also design air ducts, or possibly channels to pump coolant through...
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2013-12-20 14:43
    They are still in their infancy as far as the home user goes.
    But being able to make a plastic part when something breaks and you cannot buy a replacement makes sense to me. Once all the bugs are ironed out, they will be fantastic. Material cost will come down significantly once volume picks up.

    Same thing happened with computers, LCDs, modems, laser printers and bubblejets, cameras, mobile phones, tablets etc, etc.
    All different things, but they have changed our lives forever. So will 3D printers for the masses.

    Thingiverse was great (not so much lately IMHO) - when you make a replacement part, say for your old car, you put it up on the internet. Anyone else can now make one too, if that part breaks. There are lots of parts around the home that break and you have to trash the whole thing - now you can make the bit. Who cares if it takes you a man-week of time until you get it right - its because of the fun of doing it and learning some form of cad software too boot!

    But, you have to have the time :( I have too many things to play with! Probably 100hrs/day so something has to give, and I still need to sleep too - I need way more than Chip ;)
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-12-20 17:12
    erco wrote: »
    The world has officially gone mad with 3D printing, even if it is slower, costlier, and more tedious than doing something by hand.

    I don't know if I agree. We could 3D print the block to hold a s'load of smt parts, and then 3D print the traces between them. I could drop a bunch of loose parts into cavities in the time it would take to solder one smt by hand (assuming I could even see that small). This might be something.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-12-20 18:49
    I recently needed to make a bearing block to to support an idler sprocket. I could have machined it using my mini mill but printing it was so much faster and easier.

    Idler.jpg
    Idler.jpg
    599 x 397 - 256K
  • garyggaryg Posts: 420
    edited 2013-12-21 15:50
    W9GFO wrote: »
    I recently needed to make a bearing block to to support an idler sprocket. I could have machined it using my mini mill but printing it was so much faster and easier.

    Idler.jpg

    Hi
    Did you need to do any touch up machining to your finished 3d printed bearing block?
    Which 3d printing machine are you using?

    Thanks
    Gary
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-12-21 15:55
    garyg wrote: »
    Hi
    Did you need to do any touch up machining to your finished 3d printed bearing block?
    Which 3d printing machine are you using?

    I made sure that there were no ridges inside where the bearing fits, they were really simple parts so cleanup was not needed.

    I use a Flashforge Creator, it's a clone of the no longer available MakerBot Replicator dual.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-24 11:14
    OK, even this old man (me) thinks this inflatable 3D printed flower is pretty cool.

    [video=vimeo;84466106]
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2014-01-24 14:07
    W9GFO wrote: »
    I recently needed to make a bearing block to to support an idler sprocket. I could have machined it using my mini mill but printing it was so much faster and easier.

    Idler.jpg

    By coincidence I made a bearing block (to hold a bearing) yesterday by laser-cutting acrylic sheet, 3 layers identical, tight push-fit onto
    bearing and probably a lot quicker still...

    Stacking laser-cut sheets and pinning through is a handy technique that's sort of 2.5D printing.

    Interesting 3D printing link: http://www.contourcrafting.org/
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-01-24 18:41
    This delta robot arm 3D printer had three linear slides, lots of linkages, and is fun to watch. Looks like you could print a tall object in the cylindrical case.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osTgZS7kpR0
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2014-01-24 20:01
    Mark_T wrote: »
    By coincidence I made a bearing block (to hold a bearing) yesterday by laser-cutting acrylic sheet, 3 layers identical, tight push-fit onto
    bearing and probably a lot quicker still...

    Stacking laser-cut sheets and pinning through is a handy technique that's sort of 2.5D printing.

    Interesting 3D printing link: http://www.contourcrafting.org/

    In my case the bearing block was for the laser. The laser, being disassembled, was unable to make a part for itself.
  • bsnutbsnut Posts: 521
    edited 2014-01-24 22:38
    erco wrote: »
    I'm all for being the first guy in the pool for most things, and there is no doubt that 3d printing will open up a lot of doors. As always, there's a right tool for the right job. Maybe it will lead to something better. IIRC, 3M post-it notes were initially deemed a failure. :)
    I agree. There is talk and saw on the news that they opening up 3D printing stores. I just wonder if they will last long and how many will open up?
  • MacTuxLinMacTuxLin Posts: 821
    edited 2014-01-24 22:47
    erco wrote: »
    OK, even this old man (me) thinks this inflatable 3D printed flower is pretty cool.]

    Wow, its really cool....
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2014-01-25 05:21
    bsnut wrote: »
    I agree. There is talk and saw on the news that they opening up 3D printing stores. I just wonder if they will last long and how many will open up?

    Think photocopier and page printer. These used to be insanely expensive and complex, now they are commonplace.

    The creators of the early repraps talked about a target of one in every home and every school. So far, I have seen them in many schools and public libraries.

    As more people discover them, new ways to take advantage of the tech will develop.

    Of course, even now there are still folks that can't work a photocopier.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-01-25 05:50
    JonnyMac wrote: »
    It is interesting that we will sometimes do something simply for the sake of doing it.

    And deeply disconcerting what some people will do just because they are bored... like Justin Bieber of late.

    I'd like to see 3D printed concrete housing in poor countries if this would boost the quality control to protect from earthquakes and typhoons. Pakistan and the Philippenes would benefit greatly. A concret geodisc dome might be the best for both --- structurally much stronger, and superior aerodynamics in heavy winds. A dome might even survive in a storm surge if not undermined.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-01-26 03:58
    You don't need 3D printing tech to make concrete domes.

    They just lay out a big balloon, lay out rebar on top of it, pour the concrete and then slowly inflates the balloon.
    Finished in a couple of hours.
    (I know there's at least one company in Australia that does it this way. Saw it on TV once)
  • rjo__rjo__ Posts: 2,114
    edited 2014-01-26 04:21
    Gadgetman… you are correct. http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/bubble-houses/ Invented during WWII by Wallace Neff.

    http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/Home_Building/Dome_Houses.htm provides an update on alternative methods.
  • Mark_TMark_T Posts: 1,981
    edited 2014-01-26 05:28
    Gadgetman wrote: »
    You don't need 3D printing tech to make concrete domes.

    They just lay out a big balloon, lay out rebar on top of it, pour the concrete and then slowly inflates the balloon.
    Finished in a couple of hours.
    (I know there's at least one company in Australia that does it this way. Saw it on TV once)

    The Romans did it without rebar and without balloons and still hold the world record for the largest unreinforced
    concrete dome. However the Pantheon holds up more by luck than judgement, and lacks an understanding of
    basic engineering principles!
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-01-26 05:51
    Are you sure the Romans were lucky and had no real understanding of engineering. It looks to me like they pretty well understood what a center of gravity was, what compressive strength was, and how to distribute loads in an arch or a dome. In many ways, massive compressive structures do quite well over time if the material is good.

    Of course, the library at Alexandria burned and there is a lot with may never actually know if they knew.

    ~~~~~~~~
    So we don't need a 3D printer machine for concrete... just a giant bubble machine.

    Gunite has been around for quite awhile and is extremely useful. One can build boats with it, or stabile hillsides, or build a foundation, or a whole cave.... great for Hobbit holes.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-02-01 21:09
    Here's a nice warm & fuzzy story about a teenager who 3D prints a prosthetic hand for a 9-year old boy.

    http://www.kansascity.com/2014/01/31/4790811/kansas-teen-uses-3-d-printer-to.html

    R2Lyy.St.81.jpeg
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2014-02-02 03:51
    Here's the best reason to have a 3D printer, yet....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoZ2BgPVtA0
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