"Counting Cars" on History Channel

[Mike Folks]

Supposedly on the upcoming episode of "Counting Cars" next week, One of the more Tech informed employee's, will be using a 3D printer to fabricate some tail light parts. Rather than pay $1000 each for used parts, I believe he said on the "Teaser Preview", that the cost would be $100(not sure if total, or just for one).

I believe on "Jay Leno's Garage" they have used a 3D printer for a parts fit, and them made the part out of metal.

 

[abarnsley]

Teaser only..

I watched the show.. Boss man said "You found a NOS OEM set of taillights for $1000.00 ??? Buy them and put them on the car..."

No rinky dink, printed taillights for a good $$$ customer.

UV resistance of a printed taillight, in Las Vegas... might be an important issue... Along with optical clarity in the blinding sun... And heat deformation..

 

[omrc7771]

We are at the very beginning of viable processes right now and that is what many people fail to realize. Sintering and resolution will improve and in 10 years you'll look around and say "I never poo poed 3D"

 

[tjb1]

We are at the very beginning of viable processes right now and that is what many people fail to realize. Sintering and resolution will improve and in 10 years you'll look around and say "I never poo poed 3D"

Lost cause arguing with these types, they can't see beyond their own nose and hate any innovation.

 

[Modelman]

No, we want to see some hard facts: build time, cost, surface finish, physical properties.

I'm looking at a small injection mold insert right now that I have to decide... do I grind it... or do I send it out for wire EDM? I can estimate my time to grind it, and when I get off the phone this morning, I'll know what it will cost to have it wired out. Who do I call to find out about having it 3-D printed? Will the resulting part hold up as well as heat treated S-7? The part I'm holding has cracked from cyclical loading. Can they give me +/- .0002" tolerance? How about +/-.0005"? From what I've seen of SLS work, the surface will be rough enough to require grinding anyway, so the tolerance is moot, but if I have to grind it, I may as well start from bar stock.

It's not that we don't think there is a future for the process, but we need to see examples of REAL WORK, along with costs, rather than hype.

I just saw an article in one of the plastics industry magazines that I was thinking of linking to here, but when I read it, it was again mostly hype, no hard numbers.

Dennis

 

[tjb1]

No, we want to see some hard facts: build time, cost, surface finish, physical properties.

I'm looking at a small injection mold insert right now that I have to decide... do I grind it... or do I send it out for wire EDM? I can estimate my time to grind it, and when I get off the phone this morning, I'll know what it will cost to have it wired out. Who do I call to find out about having it 3-D printed? Will the resulting part hold up as well as heat treated S-7? The part I'm holding has cracked from cyclical loading. Can they give me +/- .0002" tolerance? How about +/-.0005"? From what I've seen of SLS work, the surface will be rough enough to require grinding anyway, so the tolerance is moot, but if I have to grind it, I may as well start from bar stock.

It's not that we don't think there is a future for the process, but we need to see examples of REAL WORK, along with costs, rather than hype.

I just saw an article in one of the plastics industry magazines that I was thinking of linking to here, but when I read it, it was again mostly hype, no hard numbers.

Dennis

It's all out there, use Google and stop being lazy about it.

 

[omrc7771]

No, we want to see some hard facts: build time, cost, surface finish, physical properties.

I'm looking at a small injection mold insert right now that I have to decide... do I grind it... or do I send it out for wire EDM? I can estimate my time to grind it, and when I get off the phone this morning, I'll know what it will cost to have it wired out. Who do I call to find out about having it 3-D printed? Will the resulting part hold up as well as heat treated S-7? The part I'm holding has cracked from cyclical loading. Can they give me +/- .0002" tolerance? How about +/-.0005"? From what I've seen of SLS work, the surface will be rough enough to require grinding anyway, so the tolerance is moot, but if I have to grind it, I may as well start from bar stock.

It's not that we don't think there is a future for the process, but we need to see examples of REAL WORK, along with costs, rather than hype.

I just saw an article in one of the plastics industry magazines that I was thinking of linking to here, but when I read it, it was again mostly hype, no hard numbers.

Dennis

What I'm saying is WE ARE NOT THERE YET! but it's coming. No one is saying that today, you can order a viable part for the example you give, maybe in a couple years.

 

[abarnsley]

I have nothing against 3D printing.

But for the reasons stated in my original post, It is not anywhere near ready, for prime time taillight lens production...

Uhhh Customer could you wait say 2 or 3 years, when we MIGHT have the process perfected for taillight lenses..

Ohhh you are 78 years old, and want your car now... WITH NOS Gov't approved tailight lenses...

 

[Oldwrench]

At the risk of seeming opposed to progress, I agree that the whole 3D printing thing is overhyped. It brings to mind the first examples of CAM that seemed to be on the cover of every other issue of every trade journal for about ten years starting in the 80s. Nothing that hadn't been adequately done for decades with Kellers, but it was new, revolutionary, and electronically controlled (today, if one were to judge by the pictures, every single machine shop in the world makes impellers, although that paradigm seems to be fading). There is no doubt 3D printing is a tremendous timesaver if you're making foundry pattern masters or one-off engine manifolds for a car project with a $30 million budget or surgical implants or something similar, but that is only because the traditional processes it replaces are themselves hugely time-consuming. Plus, the end product tends to be high-end as opposed to commodity items. It is NOT going to displace relatively quick processes, such as machining round or square durable metal parts by the thousand. The advantages are just not there and do not seem likely to be. Certainly not to the extent those investment-house emails flogging the technology would have you believe. Chinese screw factories have nothing to fear.