Sana'a
Quoted from jrobinso99:These guys are printing metal? Metal printing would allow complex parts to be made that wouldn't be possible with current CNC machining.
They print metal through a "lost wax" process.
The part is printed in plastic.
The plastic is packed in sand or plaster.
Metal is poured, vaporizing the plastic, leaving the metal in its place.
Engine blocks for new cars are cast in this manner, but they use assembled foam rather than printed plastic. It allows castings that could never be machined.
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There are 3D printers that print directly with metal & lasers, but still really expensive:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/140084-nasa-3d-prints-rocket-parts-with-steel-not-plastic
Saginaw, MI
It was printed in black strong & flexible pastic. I basically snapped it off while I was working on the machine. It broke off at the base of the vertical part of the bracket, at the weakest point. I will be filling in this part of the bracket since it's not necessary to retain the original configuration of the bracket. If this was printed in stainless (which it can be) it may have been ok, but in plastic it's too weak.
