Somebody Print Me a Wrench!

[Joe Guy]

[Long Run]

Fascinating.

[loCAtek]

Aw, I posted that already...

i got better


Star Trek Replicators are here:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3384&p=43639#p43639

[rubato]

Very impressive.

Lab-scale equipment was demonstrated 10+ years ago but it is interesting that they are trying to commercialize the printers now. The 'inks' are also better developed here.

I'm guessing that a $10 wrench costs at least hundred$ coming out of the printer, and possibly thousands, so the question is a commercial one, is there a use which justifies the cost?

How much could a machine shop replicate that wrench for? A foundry?

And what are the other physical properties of the printed materials? hardness, tensile strength, resistance to UV, solvents, heat, would that wrench melt or deform at 120F? What is the Tg? TCE?

What is the composition of the material, is it mostly organic? Is there some silicate? Some metal?

yrs,
rubato




.

[Crackpot]

I've seen it.

We have a printer at work that can print out moving parts just like that. (It doesn't completely immerse the part in support material though)

Depending on the material used and the nozzle size used you can get pretty strong and accurate parts out of them. (BTW unless they had to do some cleanup on that scan in order for that to be a functioning wrench) In fact I very much doubt that came from a direct scan at all.

Also the material cost is fairly cheap upkeep of the machines isn't (But that depends on how well you treat it.)

[Aard Vark]

Can you print me a wench?