Metal Reprap 3D printer?

[Larry]

Does anybody know if there are any plans for a metal reprap? has anyone begun working on anything like this? Imagine if you had a reprap which could print in metal. That would pretty much be the perfect self replicating 3d printer.

[RobH2]

Because of the heat required to melt most metals I'm afraid that technology from a RepRap perspective is some time off. However, here is a good article about the technology:

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1...-manufacturing

[SethEden]

Does anybody know if there are any plans for a metal reprap? has anyone begun working on anything like this? Imagine if you had a reprap which could print in metal. That would pretty much be the perfect self replicating 3d printer.

Actually I had an idea how to do this just this morning. Not just printing metal, but to do it in the same printer that also prints plastics, even being able to print multiple metals and multiple color plastics in the same printer at the same time! I don't think anybody else has though of a way to do that. But I know of a way to do it, and it would work.

[RobH2]

Interesting idea and as with all ideas, they are worth exploring. I'd think that you could have a printer that could use any material, plastic, metal, chocolate, etc. But to print them at the same time might be very problematic. The heat required for metal printing would just vaporize any plastic nearby. I'd be interested to hear how you might solve that issue.

[SethEden]

Interesting idea and as with all ideas, they are worth exploring. I'd think that you could have a printer that could use any material, plastic, metal, chocolate, etc. But to print them at the same time might be very problematic. The heat required for metal printing would just vaporize any plastic nearby. I'd be interested to hear how you might solve that issue.

Easy, scale. By making the metal printing very tiny you not only get high precision but high resolution. Not only that but using a single torch to heat the metal in a very localized spot for laying down a bead of metal and preheating the layer under-which it is about to be placed so as to get them to bond better. The heating is very localized and the parts cool quickly. Could even cool them faster by applying a cooling gas often used in metal cutting work, such as cold air or some other cooling gas. Air is the cheapest because it can come from a small air compressor purchased at Home Depot. And I've got another idea for doing different metals with the same print head, but I can't give away all my secrets online. Shoot me an e-mail, maybe we can collaborate. Iceversaka AT hotmail DOT com.

[3dkarma]

Take a look here - reprap with a mig welder for a hotend = metal reprap.

[SethEden]

Take a look here - reprap with a mig welder for a hotend = metal reprap.

Yea I saw that one at my lunch time today when I realized how to do this. I went to see if anybody else was thinking or had thought about this sort of thing. That one has some limitations though. Only works with certain welding metals, cannot make vertical holes, ect... I also saw the Vader which uses induction, not bad, but I think we can do better. And there was that mini metal printer that prints metal clays that can then be fired. Also not bad, but requires a furnace to cure the print. I was thinking there has got to be a way to do this using the same techniques used in plastic printing, but for all kinds of metals. And that's when it hit me how it could be done.

I think we'll need to form a team and build a kick-starter. ;-)

[Nistrum]

the problem is that you will weaken the structure making it useless for a lot of uses.. that striation and the fact that each layer cools between applications will in effect create the same problems as cold solder joints...useful for some applications obviously but cast and milled metal objects will still be stronger. TBH i think the best way to do it is print your object and pay a metal caster to cast your object for you...

[jstck]

It seems to me the best option for 3d-printing metal is the selective laser sintering (or maybe the related selective laser melting) method. There's nothing in there that to me looks obviously impossible to do "reprap-style", though I don't know just how expensive such a laser is.

[SethEden]

the problem is that you will weaken the structure making it useless for a lot of uses.. that striation and the fact that each layer cools between applications will in effect create the same problems as cold solder joints...useful for some applications obviously but cast and milled metal objects will still be stronger. TBH i think the best way to do it is print your object and pay a metal caster to cast your object for you...

If you read my post carefully, I already mentioned a solution to this.