Re: The 3D Printer Thread
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:35 pm
There is something that the 3D printer industry barely mentions when describing their printers.
Sure you can see all of the demo's, things being printed etc, but the part that they do not show you is creating something to print. Many of the items are downloaded off the web, rather than designed by the person who has a printer.
This is where it gets complicated. The drawing has to be a 3d one, rather than a 2d 'flat' one, eg blueprints. The only way I can describe the process is to say that if it was an inkjet printer, there is no button to press that will produce 'War & Peace - Part 2'. The file has to be created before anything can be printed.
The drawing is done in 3d.
Another program slices that drawing into 'layers'. This is because that is how a 3d printer, prints. Same as an inkjet printer, but that only prints one layer. After each layer on a 3d printer the print head raises and then it prints the next layer, or slice.
There are additional complications as not everything can be printed as a one piece item. Overhangs on the item need supports, the printer cannot drop a layer in mid-air. On top of that most printers are pretty much limited to a 20cm x 20cm size. So, if someone came up with the 3d drawings for say a tank, that would have to be split down into component parts in order that it could be printed 'and' produce decent quality output.
The next thing is print speed. Even a very small 2cm item will take probably 30 mins to print. Printing the components to make a tank would probably be an overnight job on a domestic 3d printer.
Domestic scanners are pretty poor according to web reviews, and that leaves getting a part scanned commercially. The best bet would be to produce the 3d drawings and send them to an industrial scale 3d printing company (there are several online) and pay for them to be printed in ABS, metal or whatever.
The best way to look at a 3d printer is to test that the drawings are good to print prior to sending them to a commercial printer, making one off items, or prototypes. The time it takes to produce decent 3d plans is considerable, and you can add to that the time it takes to learn how to use the software?
To be honest my advice to anyone thinking of 3d printing is to get hold of some design software, and see what you can design using it. If anyone can't pass that stage then the 3d printer itself will very soon become an ornament.
Sure you can see all of the demo's, things being printed etc, but the part that they do not show you is creating something to print. Many of the items are downloaded off the web, rather than designed by the person who has a printer.
This is where it gets complicated. The drawing has to be a 3d one, rather than a 2d 'flat' one, eg blueprints. The only way I can describe the process is to say that if it was an inkjet printer, there is no button to press that will produce 'War & Peace - Part 2'. The file has to be created before anything can be printed.
The drawing is done in 3d.
Another program slices that drawing into 'layers'. This is because that is how a 3d printer, prints. Same as an inkjet printer, but that only prints one layer. After each layer on a 3d printer the print head raises and then it prints the next layer, or slice.
There are additional complications as not everything can be printed as a one piece item. Overhangs on the item need supports, the printer cannot drop a layer in mid-air. On top of that most printers are pretty much limited to a 20cm x 20cm size. So, if someone came up with the 3d drawings for say a tank, that would have to be split down into component parts in order that it could be printed 'and' produce decent quality output.
The next thing is print speed. Even a very small 2cm item will take probably 30 mins to print. Printing the components to make a tank would probably be an overnight job on a domestic 3d printer.
Domestic scanners are pretty poor according to web reviews, and that leaves getting a part scanned commercially. The best bet would be to produce the 3d drawings and send them to an industrial scale 3d printing company (there are several online) and pay for them to be printed in ABS, metal or whatever.
The best way to look at a 3d printer is to test that the drawings are good to print prior to sending them to a commercial printer, making one off items, or prototypes. The time it takes to produce decent 3d plans is considerable, and you can add to that the time it takes to learn how to use the software?
To be honest my advice to anyone thinking of 3d printing is to get hold of some design software, and see what you can design using it. If anyone can't pass that stage then the 3d printer itself will very soon become an ornament.