Quote:
Originally Posted by HardDrive
Got it.
So why is adding material better than taking a block of existing material and removing the excess to reveal the shape?
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What Matt (onewhippedpuppy) says has some truth to it, but in actuality, any part expected to be mass produced won't have those closed-in geometries. That is, if it can be molded, it can be machined. (or at least the mold can be machined)
The advantages that I see in these layering RP machines are, first and foremost, the easy of set-up. That is, you don't have to be a machinist make a part with one of these machines. Secondly, you don't have to source a big block of material. Those RP machines are like easy-bake ovens ...or a copy machine w/ toner. You have a vat of material. ...the part made uses only the volume of material of the part --not of a block-- so , little is wasted.
The major downside tho, is the materials of RP machines. The parts are often fragile, when made somewhat accurate ... and fairly in-accurate if made from the stronger materials.
The laser sintered metals (SLS) are pretty cool in that you could make, say a wheel that looked
just like a Fuchs (in whatever size you wanted.) It would be metal, heavy, have a worse surface finish and weaker than even gravity cast aluminum.
...but at least it's expensive.
