What do you think is the next great push in the RepRap Community

oh, so you mean a future ceramic printing method, not what is available now?
Cool idea for sure, has anyone done that on a non-million dollar machine?

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jmaeding
oh, so you mean a future ceramic printing method, not what is available now?
Cool idea for sure, has anyone done that on a non-million dollar machine?

These machines print a ceramic slurry using a paste extruder: Ceramic Delta, Ceramic Extrusion. The printed parts are then fired in a kiln.

The Solar Sinter is a very famous project that used sunlight to melt sand into glass. Something similar could be done with a combination of lasers, focused heat lamps, and heaters.

This page on the RepRap Wiki OpenSLS describes a low-cost open source SLS printer that works with plastic and wax powders.

A proof-of-principle experiment has shown that metal powders (aluminum, titanium) can be sintered/melted with a laser diode and low-cost equipment: Powder vs 50W laser diode.

So... it is true that no one has SLS printed glass or metal on a non-million dollar machine (excepting the solar sinter). But all the key subsystems for doing exactly that have been demonstrated. And if you just want to print traditional ceramics that will be fired in a kiln, that technology is well established.

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jmaeding
here is the pressboard extruder I did, its a copy of gregs/wade with realigned motor mount holes to provide access to screws behind belt.
I've done 2 of these now, and even found you can sew the requires closed loop belt with thin needle and nylon thread.
Closed Loop belt

Nice! Would you care to add drawings and pictures to the wiki? Ideally right the Wade's Extruder page: [www.reprap.org]

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

I'd be happy to, and actually have cad files and so on for the design and other things I have done possibly worth sharing.
Can you explain how to edit the wiki?

I've never done that so a sentence or two might save me an hour.
thanks

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jmaeding
Can you explain how to edit the wiki?

There are a few tutorials on the wiki. This one is my favorite: Wiki tutorial. (Because I wrote it, ha ha! )

If you have questions or get stuck, please ask. Most of us are happy to help.

EDIT: Don't be afraid to make mistakes or mess stuff up. The great thing about wiki pages is that it is easy to revert back to older versions.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2015 06:02PM by MattMoses.

An easy to use, low material cost powerbed printer, that is capable of printing full-color parts as strong as current FDM parts.

That's the tack HP is following with their current powerbed design, and I wish them the best of luck.

With a cheap, strong powder bed system, you greatly expand the library of printable parts - no support framework needed for your parts.

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MattMoses
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jmaeding
oh, so you mean a future ceramic printing method, not what is available now?
Cool idea for sure, has anyone done that on a non-million dollar machine?


These machines print a ceramic slurry using a paste extruder: Ceramic Delta, Ceramic Extrusion. The printed parts are then fired in a kiln.

The Solar Sinter is a very famous project that used sunlight to melt sand into glass. Something similar could be done with a combination of lasers, focused heat lamps, and heaters.

This page on the RepRap Wiki OpenSLS describes a low-cost open source SLS printer that works with plastic and wax powders.

A proof-of-principle experiment has shown that metal powders (aluminum, titanium) can be sintered/melted with a laser diode and low-cost equipment: Powder vs 50W laser diode.

If you have enough money for a 3D printer, you're lucky. If you have enough money for a kiln and a 50W lasers you're rich. The purpose of RepRap shouldn't be to lower the cost curve for future iterations of 3D printers. It should be to improve on existing technologies and drive the price into the basement. As we stand today, economy of scale will not overtake distributive manufacturing in our lifetimes.

In other words, RepRap is an end of life project. All that it can do has been done and all that it wants to do has been over done. I say we put a bullet in old yeller.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2015 09:14PM by modzilla.

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jaguarking11

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cpus
Exactly. I don't ever see 3d printers becoming commonplace in households unless they grow a lot more consumer friendly and can support more than just plastic.

As of now I am counting the material types supported

1 - ABS
2 - PLA
3 - Ceramics
4 - clay
5 - carbon fiber
6 - metal impregnated plastics
7 - somewhat cunductive plastics
8 - metal (Well solder experiments)

Not a bad variation I would say. Depends on what one wants to make. I am tempted to do a ceramics swap able head on my printer. Would be nice to print in some fine ceramics.

Yes, but don't you need a different extruder for each material other than the plastics?

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modzilla

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MattMoses
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jmaeding
oh, so you mean a future ceramic printing method, not what is available now?
Cool idea for sure, has anyone done that on a non-million dollar machine?


These machines print a ceramic slurry using a paste extruder: Ceramic Delta, Ceramic Extrusion. The printed parts are then fired in a kiln.

The Solar Sinter is a very famous project that used sunlight to melt sand into glass. Something similar could be done with a combination of lasers, focused heat lamps, and heaters.

This page on the RepRap Wiki OpenSLS describes a low-cost open source SLS printer that works with plastic and wax powders.

A proof-of-principle experiment has shown that metal powders (aluminum, titanium) can be sintered/melted with a laser diode and low-cost equipment: Powder vs 50W laser diode.

If you have enough money for a 3D printer, you're lucky. If you have enough money for a kiln and a 50W lasers you're rich. The purpose of RepRap shouldn't be to lower the cost curve for future iterations of 3D printers. It should be to improve on existing technologies and drive the price into the basement. As we stand today, economy of scale will not overtake distributive manufacturing in our lifetimes.

In other words, RepRap is an end of life project. All that it can do has been done and all that it wants to do has been over done. I say we put a bullet in old yeller.

Not sure if serious RepRap is most definitely not an end of life project, there is still much more innovation coming in the 3d printing field.

I had a few thoughts as I read through this.
1. I had always used RepRap and 3d printing as synonymous terms. I've come to realize they are not. RepRap is project based, development, sharing, and a community. 3D printing is a manufactured machine, where as you live within the producer's landscape.
2. I find that some people live way to inside the box. Most of the arguments seem to follow the same logic as the computer did in the late 70's. Following history, tells me that we are just on the beginning of this journey, there will be advances, cost reductions, new uses.

Can you envision a device that does SLA/FDM/wire traces/electronic's printing/ a subtractive process, in multiple mediums? I truly believe that is the road we will travel over the next 30 years. Just as we progressed from an 4 bit computer to what is on the shelf today. Don't let the point we are today with ReprRap/3d printing form your judgement of what we will use these machines for 5, 10, or 30 years down the road. The manufactures of these products will create the need to own one, just as they did with the PC.

Call me a nut job.. but I do believe the will become as common as a toaster some day.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2015 11:10AM by cat.farmer.

... and if not present in every household ... then available/adressable to anyone, willing or in need to get a part fabbed in time for low cost, without starting a comercial injection-mould run

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2015 03:24PM by VDX.

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Viktor
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I imagine 3D printing concepts being key to a very different potential world. If we can develop them more towards Star Trek like replicators that are capable of producing most things from a common medium, such as pure energy, then the rules of civilization may shift. I imagine lightly populated communities spread throughout the world. Goods are largely valued as raw materials and their design as anyone can replicate objects with their printers. Robots can help us with things like gardening and it's possible to spend far more time on discovery of new things (science) and art.

I've given a mere vague glimpse of what I have in mind. It's a world that I think is a very long way away. It's sort of like seeing how the newly invented horse-drawn wagons could ultimately lead to the space shuttle... It doesn't on its own lead there, but it's an early stage of a key component. I think human nature could be in direct opposition with my view. It's a world we could have, should we opt for it. I think to some extent it's also a world that's already available, though more hands-on.

If only I had a few million bucks kickin around, I'd explore that life further.

Imagine a quad-copter, hexapod robot, the size of an airliner... Walking, flying about. It stops every so often and like a spider spinning a web, it 3D prints buildings, cars, other builder-spider-fly-bots (or scaffolding for their construction).. Such robots might be able to retool themselves to mine natural resources for their needs.. Or ideally have a vast power source and matter-energy conversion abilities.

Now imagine we all get to control one of these and we all get ours delivered to various moons and planets.

Minecraft 2.0, here we come!

Wow Thanks for all of the comments and feedback, I was looking to get a feel for what people see as the future of 3D printing, and get a sense for where Repraps will be in a few years.

This is awesome thanks everyone for your comments!

Ryan