The end of machining and welding?

[fizzy]

Maybe a bit of an overstatement but things are changing fast in the 3d printing world.
Most metal 3d printers rely on powdered metals and is basically a sintering process. But great progress is being made using direct metal deposition.

Just look at some of the parts being made. A full tubular exhaust manifold no welding. Pressbrake tooling with a core of mild steel to save on cost and a tool steel working surface. Even plastic injection moulds can be made from scratch. The reduction in cost is staggering.

There are several companies working in this field. They estimate the market will be worth 8 trillion soon

 

[fizzy]

Also can be used to print splines or gears onto an existing shaft - or to repair/resurface a worn one. You can even use it to deposit tool steel onto a section that runs in a bearing. Beats flame powder work.

 

[Memmeddu]

Also can be used to print splines or gears onto an existing shaft - or to repair/resurface a worn one. You can even use it to deposit tool steel onto a section that runs in a bearing. Beats flame powder work.

It would surely not able to glue together ships parts or fix an excavator stick or boom broken in half

 

[mike os]

We have several items manufactured this way, not cheap and not 100% reliable but the cost savings and turnaround can be beneficial

That said post print machining to spec can add a lot of time and remove a lot of the savings

 

[Pete.]

I can do that by loading mig wire in my ender 3

 

[fizzy]

Watching them making pressbrake tooling so cheap made me realise how much it can drive costs down. A large injection mould can cost £100,000 + could reduce the cost by 70%

 

[DeBangis]

I can do that by loading mig wire in my ender 3

Hahaha!

 

[Bsmith]

Gees! The working world is being killed by high tech.

 

[mike os]

Gees! The working world is being killed by high tech.

Not at all , some of this is very hi tech and to precise standards.

Great for hollow shapes that would otherwise be from solid in exotic materials for eg

 

[mtt.tr]

Wait till fizzy hears how sintered parts are made.

 

[Erie Fred]

Been using a local printing service, plastic parts only, however they do all manner of steel.

The powders & process are toxic, a few times I stopped in, one operator was in a full hazmat suit
unloading parts, or filling up something.

 

[8ob]

Fine fabbies in F1 used to make up all the bracketry, suspension components and pipework, that's virtually stopped now because of cnc machining and 3d printing.
In years gone by they would have bent this pipe and made up the jig, now they are handed the 3d printed jig, the 3d printed inconel tube and only get to weld on the ends.

• 

 

[mike os]

Quite surprised the ends were not printed as well tbh ...

 

[roofman]

Amazing process, would love to be around in the future when some fitter is trying to remove that helical gear off a shaft with a hammer and soft punch

 

[Brad93]

Also can be used to print splines or gears onto an existing shaft - or to repair/resurface a worn one. You can even use it to deposit tool steel onto a section that runs in a bearing. Beats flame powder work.

No it doesn't. There are massive real world issues with the processes, where flame spray and HVOF are time proven.

Even laser shaft cladding, massive failures in power stations and turbines around the world.

 

[fizzy]

No it doesn't. There are massive real world issues with the processes, where flame spray and HVOF are time proven.

Even laser shaft cladding, massive failures in power stations and turbines around the world.

This is a new process though. Company hasn't been going long.

 

[Richiew]

not been found out yet....

 

[DAPPH]

It would surely not able to glue together ships parts or fix an excavator stick or boom broken in half

Ship parts have been glued with specialist compounds and also welded automatically for years , way back in 1963 an air frames and engine guy in the RAF introduced me to a form of epoxy resin mixed with duralumin to stick patches on aircraft of all types.
I was in the Harland and Wolfe ship yards in late 1980 they were prefabbing 300 plus tons of steel then taking it out on a railway and hoisting it up on the big Goliath crane on to the ship , tack welding it in place then using an automated welding machine so make the weld really strong
In their fab shop one of the welding machines was on rails standing 25 feet or more tall and getting on for 60 feet long , it had two men to operate it and melted a 12 mm solid steel wire off a massive drum . Doing the weld under a continuous 100 mm pour of granular flux & gas .

I gather that various types of 3D printing have been / are being done in outer space as it's cheaper & more effective and gives stronger jobs it's also easier to send up payloads of filaments and powders thn make it on earth and send it up on rockets .

 

[DAPPH]

Not at all , some of this is very hi tech and to precise standards.

Great for hollow shapes that would otherwise be from solid in exotic materials for eg

3D printed seamless super lightweight honeycomb armour for fast recon vehicles rings a bell. Impossible to make otherwise ????

 

[Brad93]

Ship parts have been glued with specialist compounds and also welded automatically for years , way back in 1963 an air frames and engine guy in the RAF introduced me to a form of epoxy resin mixed with duralumin to stick patches on aircraft of all types.
I was in the Harland and Wolfe ship yards in late 1980 they were prefabbing 300 plus tons of steel then taking it out on a railway and hoisting it up on the big Goliath crane on to the ship , tack welding it in place then using an automated welding machine so make the weld really strong
In their fab shop one of the welding machines was on rails standing 25 feet or more tall and getting on for 60 feet long , it had two men to operate it and melted a 12 mm solid steel wire off a massive drum . Doing the weld under a continuous 100 mm pour of granular flux & gas .

I gather that various types of 3D printing have been / are being done in outer space as it's cheaper & more effective and gives stronger jobs it's also easier to send up payloads of filaments and powders thn make it on earth and send it up on rockets .

That sounds a bit like electro slag. Fascinating process invented by the russians for welding their subs.

Subarc doesn't use wire electrodes that size. It can use strips though.

The welding machines on rails are column and booms. Probably made by BODE.