Making physical objects from a 3D file in a computer.
I have seen all kinds of offers for 3D printing services (you send them the file, they mail you the object) and for some home printers.
What are my options? I don’t have anything particular in mind, but I am leaning towards arts. Design something pretty and sell it as art. I am open to any material, but I prefer larger sizes over coffee table knick-knacks, although making hardware does interest me (drawer pulls, hinges, etc).
A recent thread on the subject: Is autofabrication on the verge of changing the world?
Thanks for the link. I had some vague memories of that thread from before it turned into a debate on the virtues of modern laser printers. There are some useful links on that thread.
I am thinking in more practical and immediate terms. I want to make items I can sell today, not change paradigms.
http://www.exone.com/eng/technology/x1-prometal/
This place looks pretty amazing.
http://www.bathsheba.com/
Check her work with them.
I would love a basic printer that prints in cheap paste or something of the sort so I can see them in 3D with them before sending to print.
Or a nicer printer that would print in some durable plastic that could be sold directly.
Are there any 3D printers like this for wood?
My company sells 3D printers and performs 3D printing and rapid prototyping (RP) services, so I have some familiarity with this, though I work in a different group than RP. My knowledge of typical service costs is lacking, unfortunately, though I do know some machine costs.
One thing to note about 3D printing and other RP technologies is that they all work by building up a part layer by layer, typically out of some sort of polymer, so the idea of 3D printing for wood wouldn’t work here (that I can imagine, anyway). You’d be looking at some sort of CNC machine for that.
I’ll give you a lowdown on the three main RP technologies here, going from cheapest to most expensive. I’ve only ever heard 3D printing to refer to the first item I’m listing. Stereolithography and Selected Laser Sintering are the other two technologies.
3D Printing
In 3D printing, ABS plastic is fed through an injection nozzle where it’s heated up and deposited on a platform, kind of like a spider spinning a 3D web. It performs this a later at a time with the platform dropping for each subsequent layer until the part is complete. Stratasys’ method is called Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Wikipedia has a pretty good article on the process.
The nice thing about 3D printing is that resolution (of the layers) and part strength has improved immensely over the years (take it from someone who knows) and costs have dropped considerably. Resolution is about 0.007"=0.013" depending on how much you want to pay for a machine.
The only machine I’ve found that’s really targeted to individual purchase and use is the Desktop Factory 3D Printer, which goes for about US$5000. The max build size is only about 5"x5"x5" though. My company sells Dimension printers, which are generally intended for industrial use. Prices range from US$19,000-US$33,000, but the prices are constantly dropping (I remember how excited I was just a few years ago when the cheapest model dropped to US$30,000).
Stereolithography (SLA)
Again, parts are built layer by layer with this process. In this case, UV rays are projected into a resin, curing the resin wherever it hits. A porous platform supports the build. Once a layer is complete, the platform drops slightly, the resin is spread evenly across the platform, and another layer is built. Again, pretty good article in Wikipedia on this.
The resolution for SLA is the best of the various RP technologies: about 0.002"-0.006". We use RP parts to create molds for injection molding, among other things. It’s significantly more expensive than 3D printing.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
This is the process most likely used in the links you provided in your second post. It’s also the most expensive, in terms of the machine itself as well as the product.
SLS is similar to SLA, except with a powder instead of a liquid. The way it works is that a polymer powder (e.g. Duraform) is heated to just under the melting point of the powder. A laser strikes the powder where the layer is to be built, fusing the powder grains together. Once a layer is complete, the platform supporting the layer drops slightly and another layer of powder, provided by a couple of feed bins, is spread across the top. This continues until the part is built after which the build bin is removed and the part(s) retrieved from the powder, which is kind of messy.
SLS parts are a bit more grainy than SLA or even 3D printing parts. However they are very durable (we use SLS parts in lab testing at work). Also, since the part is built in a solid powder instead of a liquid resin, the part is self-supporting, meaning you can build actual assemblies with this process without any additional supporting structure that would have to be broken out later. (Our samples included a number of linking gear assemblies, which are pretty nifty).
How metal parts are made with SLS: The metal powder used for SLS actually consists of metal grains, each surrounded by a layer of nylon. When the metal part is built in the SLS machine, it’s actually the nylon layers of the grains being fused together. An additional step is required in which the part is place in an oven which evaporates the nylon and heats the metal up to the point where the metal grains fuse together. There are two main problems we’ve encountered with this: If it’s an assembly being built, contact parts of the assembly frequently get fused together. Also, the material used for this process is toxic and requires quite a bit of cleanup. Things may have improved since I last investigated this though. Regardless, don’t be surprised if any metal parts you want to building end up being prohibitively expensive.
I’m not sure if I’ve addressed everything you’re looking for, but I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, I have people working around me who can probably give some pretty good answers.
Strainger, thanks for the detailed response.
I guess the short of it is that I have some ideas in my head that I would like to see in person. I am already competent enough in 3D modeling software, so I am hoping that some form of RP is the short way to my goal, as opposed to learning metal sculpture from zero (which I have always wanted, btw)
CNC machines are fair game to me. Anything that will take me from a 3D model file in a computer to a solid object is good.
I am trying to figure out if we are at the point where this is a technology that is in reach for a dabbler with some spare cash but hoping to eventually make a profit of it (I am not looking for another expensive hobby, I can afford some expenses at first but I do want it to be financially viable).
As I mentioned at some point, large scale (objects from 1-5 meters a side) are what I dream, although I am sure I could toy with smaller items for a while.
Given that I do expect to sell these at some point, it would have to be something more or less economic so I can add a markup and still be marketable.
What technology is my best bet? (or should I just sit and wait for a few more years?)
I think that I have I seen this - not personally, but on TV - and it the coolest thing ever.
Sapo, I would suggest for an RP build, breaking the sculpture up into separate pieces that can be assembled together. We did that for a SLA gearbox we built. No way could that have been done in a single build.
3D Systems has a lot more information at their website for their various products. Their largest SLS machine, the HiQ, has a max build volume of 13"x15"x18". (The globe/cube design shown on the front page looks much bigger than what I’ve read any of these machines being able to handle. I’m figuring it must be assembled from separate parts.) They also have a link to find an RP service company near you. I’d recommend following the link, giving the RP company a call, and seeing what suggestions they have for what you’d like to do.
CNC art is a definite possibility. When I Google CNC art, I get a bunch of websites discussing plasma cut art, i.e. designs cut out of sheet metal which I don’t think you want. Sites like the CNC Art Guild have some possibilities, I think.
The Carvewright machine linked from the CNC Art Guild looks pretty cool, simple and flexible. Cheap too at $2k for a machine that will do 14"x5"x Unlimited length. Not exactly what I had in mind, but probably even more marketable.