Here's your chance to get that trick set of aluminum honeycombed interior beam rods made:
(fixed link) http://www.nextlinemfg.com/blog/aluminum-3d-printing-now-available/
Take the rough 3D printed rods, have the ends finish machined for bearings and pins of your choice.
More ambitious?
Build volume of up to 9.8" x 9.8" x 11.8".
That's still too small for a custom DOHC 16 valve Spitfire cylinder head.
But a custom intake manifold for many 4 cylinders would fit.
Can't read your email. Can you post the link to the article? 
In reply to CGLockRacer:
I fixed the link in the original post
(damned computers)
ITB intake manifolds? Throttle bodies?
The cost of printed #D parts is going to plummet over the next few years. While I doubt you will be able to print rods or pistons, the availability of alloy "bling" is going to get crazy.
In for FE3 to Blacktop 20v 3d printed adapters.
I plan on printing parts I need in plastic, then using that to make a mold.
My build volume is 10"X 10"X10"
NOHOME wrote: ITB intake manifolds? Throttle bodies? The cost of printed #D parts is going to plummet over the next few years. While I doubt you will be able to print rods or pistons, the availability of alloy "bling" is going to get crazy.
Why do you say that?
3D cannot (yet) achieve finished dimensions, but parts in various alloys of aluminum, steel, titanium, inconel, etc are already being produced, without the need for forging dies or molds.
The material characteristics of those parts meet or exceed those of 'conventional' parts.
Parts created in those metals with conventional methods all require secondary machining, why would you consider 3D parts to be any different?
In reply to erohslc:
Is there any tests of 3d printed vs cast or forged parts? In terms of hardness, strength, whatever.
I have heard rumors that some racing teams at the top levels (F1, etc) are using laser sintered parts for engine internals and they are exceeding the strength of billet or forged parts, but I haven't seen any public/published info on that.
erohslc wrote:NOHOME wrote: ITB intake manifolds? Throttle bodies? The cost of printed #D parts is going to plummet over the next few years. While I doubt you will be able to print rods or pistons, the availability of alloy "bling" is going to get crazy.Why do you say that? 3D cannot (yet) achieve finished dimensions, but parts in various alloys of aluminum, steel, titanium, inconel, etc are already being produced, without the need for forging dies or molds. The material characteristics of those parts meet or exceed those of 'conventional' parts. Parts created in those metals with conventional methods all require secondary machining, why would you consider 3D parts to be any different?
I have had some metal parts printed for work. The strenght of the sintered metal is not as good.
Bottom line is that a lot of the quality is going to depend on the equipment and process used. You can get prototype or "finished" parts for different cost.
I get spam in my work e-mail for this all the time, on Friday I submitted a part for a quote and the cost was not much cheaper than the CNC machined part. Deliver was a bit faster.
I seem to recall an article where one of the jet engine makers was going to start printing turbine blades.
NOHOME wrote: I seem to recall an article where one of the jet engine makers was going to start printing turbine blades.
Yes. And those parts are now single crystalline structure.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:
And then soon, every dipwad is going to insist on single crystalline structure for their intake manifolds or alternator brackets or designer oil filler caps, just like they think they need CNC machining today for one-off spacers or brackets that can be done faster with a hacksaw and a drill.
In reply to NOHOME:
"Bottom line is that a lot of the quality is going to depend on the equipment and process used."
This^^
Advantages of 3D is elimination of need for tools & dies to produce the unfinished part that make any changes or variations expensive, and capability to create parts with blind features, and without the draft or similar geometry requirements that forging or die molding require.
NOHOME wrote:erohslc wrote:I have had some metal parts printed for work. The strenght of the sintered metal is not as good. Bottom line is that a lot of the quality is going to depend on the equipment and process used. You can get prototype or "finished" parts for different cost. I get spam in my work e-mail for this all the time, on Friday I submitted a part for a quote and the cost was not much cheaper than the CNC machined part. Deliver was a bit faster. I seem to recall an article where one of the jet engine makers was going to start printing turbine blades.NOHOME wrote: ITB intake manifolds? Throttle bodies? The cost of printed #D parts is going to plummet over the next few years. While I doubt you will be able to print rods or pistons, the availability of alloy "bling" is going to get crazy.Why do you say that? 3D cannot (yet) achieve finished dimensions, but parts in various alloys of aluminum, steel, titanium, inconel, etc are already being produced, without the need for forging dies or molds. The material characteristics of those parts meet or exceed those of 'conventional' parts. Parts created in those metals with conventional methods all require secondary machining, why would you consider 3D parts to be any different?
Yeah, You got where I was gonna go. SLP parts still have a lot to be desired. People tend to get them confused with PM parts.
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