Originally Posted by
b dub
If you had a 3D printer what would you print?
Like:
- Brake lever hoods
- Cable adjusters
- Hub cones
What does it take?
Is this printer just too good to be true?
How much does a good one cost?
What are the cost of printing an item?
How good is the quality of the finished product?
Soft durameter 3-D printing tears, cannot be used for hoods.
Metal 3-D printing is not smooth nor hardened, no cones.
It takes a 3-D modeling program. High end, Solidworks or ProE, several thousand per year for a seat. Low end, Rhino for $1000 all in.
Today's technology, yes, too good to be true. 5-10 years, will be better.
Six figures.
$20+, depending on size and processing method. Something the size of a mobile phone would be $120-$150.
Layers of 0.004". With a magnifying glass, looks like a step pyramid. Can be sanded smooth and filled with spray-gray to get a gloss finish. Nothing truly clear but it is getting better
If you are not doing $100K per year in parts, it is more economical to use a printing bureau. Capital costs are coming down but material and maintenance costs are still high. And different materials require different printing methods (FDM, SLA, SLS, PolyJet) and machines. Having your own makes no financial sense.
These are the guys i use. Mostly because I can pick up parts on my way home from work. Most printing bureaus are competitive with prices and you won't find much, if any difference.
http://www.buildparts.com/main.taf?p=0