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3d welding- the future?

That is a lot of welding wire and shielding gas!! I wonder how they solved the problem of distortion while still allowing for adequate fusion. High amperage with super fast travel speeds?
 
Looks like they are `printing' the final trial MX3D BRIDGE START - YouTube

Not actually sure if this is a final version being printed in a controlled environment, no wind or rain to deal with, also no chance to have to fish the bot out of the canal... Or this is the final bridge that they are going to lift into place. Either way it is looking interesting.

Rich C
 
We can already build bridges, and build them much faster and cheaper than doing it this way. If you are "Making art" then it doesn't matter how long it takes or how much it costs, but attaching a MIG welder to a robotic arm is definitely NOT 3D printing a bridge, and the characteristics of the metal laid down in this way is exactly opposite to the characteristics needed for a safe bridge. Does anybody realise you cant use gas fed MIG outdoors, and you can't ensure constant build up of flux cored MIG without slag inclusion. A very silly idea, with no future. The OP video, I first saw about two years ago, so not new either.
 
A long time ago many competent (or not) companies thought that high speed diesel engines were a very silly idea and had no future. None of those companies exist today.
Perhaps the perfect combination of welding machine, wire, gas and technology is yet to arrive?
 
kind of basic is cost per pound or total cost to make a part
.
when everything added up if new technology cost 200% more its not going to replace things. just cause its possible dont mean its best for everything
.
big casting might be $2 per pound or 200 lb casting might be $300 to $2000. how much for 3d welded one ?? if its more than $2000 ? why buy it
 
In best cave-man voice

" Me no need new fancy wheel thing. Take too long to make. Things move just fine on wood skid pole. Wheel silly idea, not needed"

Just cause it might be expensive now, the way technology is moving in a couple more years it might be right on par with something similar, and still be able to do basically whatever shape you can think of. Remember when punch tape NC machines first came out, how many shops turned up their noses at it until the marketplace forced them to get one to remain competitive.
 
A long time ago many competent (or not) companies thought that high speed diesel engines were a very silly idea and had no future. None of those companies exist today.
Perhaps the perfect combination of welding machine, wire, gas and technology is yet to arrive?

No it's way simpler that that. Price a pound of I-beam, a pound of MIG wire, and a lb of iron powder. No way will 3D printing ever replace I-beams in bridges.

The only way a 3D printed bridge will be cheaper than conventional techniques is if someone figures out how to 3D print concrete.
 
Even then factor out the costs of printing the concrete compared to pouring it into a big mould and the advantage pre not post stressing gives you on bridge beams.

Lots of the 3d print crowd seam very ignorant of just how complex a lot of the working, forging and other features go into a part. A beam is not mealy a printable part, its grain structure is exactly as you want it to optimise the materials properties. Even if you could deposit weld as soundly as a i beam you would have to use more to get the same physical properties. Equally the energy consumption is horrific to deposit material in big qty's!
 








 
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