Comments on: Next year’s 3D printers http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers Accelerating Intelligence Fri, 24 May 2013 06:41:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Waldo Hitcher http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-64293 Waldo Hitcher Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:40:05 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-64293 These are just bigger more accurate versions of the same limited R&D toy makers. 3D manufacturing will continue to be limited to art and expensive weak parts for the forseeable future. The problem is the part molecular arrangement, part precision, part cost, manufacturing volume, cycle time and multi part generation of 3d printers is poor. There is no technology on the horizon that addresses this combination of weaknesses. Parts when - Forged, rolled, machined, drawn, heat treated, surface treated, injection moulded etc etc have combinatory abilities far beyond the mere projection casting ability of additive manufacturing. Consider the loading and assembly options a 6mm forged screw can impart to an assembly. Furthermore, starting with micon sized material and heating it together to make things, is for many decades going to struggle in cost terms against mass material processes. A rethink is necessary. Radically new methods are needed. No more squirt casting. Or otherwise we just carry on with R&D toys and star wars models. These are just bigger more accurate versions of the same limited R&D toy makers.
3D manufacturing will continue to be limited to art and expensive weak parts for the forseeable future. The problem is the part molecular arrangement, part precision, part cost, manufacturing volume, cycle time and multi part generation of 3d printers is poor. There is no technology on the horizon that addresses this combination of weaknesses.

Parts when – Forged, rolled, machined, drawn, heat treated, surface treated, injection moulded etc etc have combinatory abilities far beyond the mere projection casting ability of additive manufacturing. Consider the loading and assembly options a 6mm forged screw can impart to an assembly.

Furthermore, starting with micon sized material and heating it together to make things, is for many decades going to struggle in cost terms against mass material processes.

A rethink is necessary. Radically new methods are needed. No more squirt casting. Or otherwise we just carry on with R&D toys and star wars models.

]]> By: JC http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-63760 JC Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:24:38 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-63760 I doubt that compiler will ever be accepted broadly by society, my guess is the 'omp...eye' sound being hard to make. How about matter composer, or matter editor? A funny name would be thing excretor. I doubt that compiler will ever be accepted broadly by society, my guess is the ‘omp…eye’ sound being hard to make. How about matter composer, or matter editor? A funny name would be thing excretor.

]]> By: Dwight http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-63026 Dwight Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:06:33 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-63026 Somebody already beat you to it. In Neal Stephenson's 1995 book, 'The Diamond Age' they use nano-scale "matter compilers" to create just about anything, from sofas to rice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age Mention of "matter compilers" is made in the first paragraph under "Setting." On a side note, I wonder if Ray Kurzweil and Neal Stephenson know each other? I imagine they'd get along. On another side note, apparently my new Windows Phone knows to put Kurzweil after Ray, and Stevenson after Neal. That was unexpected. Somebody already beat you to it. In Neal Stephenson’s 1995 book, ‘The Diamond Age’ they use nano-scale “matter compilers” to create just about anything, from sofas to rice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age
Mention of “matter compilers” is made in the first paragraph under “Setting.”

On a side note, I wonder if Ray Kurzweil and Neal Stephenson know each other? I imagine they’d get along.

On another side note, apparently my new Windows Phone knows to put Kurzweil after Ray, and Stevenson after Neal. That was unexpected.

]]> By: Phil http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62997 Phil Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:12:02 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62997 Getting to that level, the '3D compiler' would be software to take a description and turn it into a 3D model, which would then be created by a nano fabricator, or desktop factory. Getting to that level, the ’3D compiler’ would be software to take a description and turn it into a 3D model, which would then be created by a nano fabricator, or desktop factory.

]]> By: Bri http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62991 Bri Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:15 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62991 These systems are still mainly for R&D in fairly large companies. The best printer is Objet's 1000. it's size of print, plus range of material mimics is quite impressive. Particularly it's materials and ability to incorporate numerous materials in the same build. The characteristics of these new print materials is the real story. Going from hard, durable plastics to rubber. These are mimics of materials that are used in consumer products. This in it's self really makes 3D printing more viable as a producer of consumer goods, as opposed to a prototype fabricator. If they make a consumer sized machine it will be able to produce more useful items than what is currently available from low end 3D printers. Most of what I would like to use these printers for would fall into this type of printer. The vast majority of items that I would like to produce fall into the metal sintering type machines. These spear to be mainly industrial in scale at this moment, but the article did state a machine capable of making jewelry with precious metals. If this would fall into consumer sizes and prices, it would be intstrumentsl for my business applications that I envision. It could also make far more useful items for the day to day consumer, or small business. Hopefully we will see this soon. These systems are still mainly for R&D in fairly large companies. The best printer is Objet’s 1000. it’s size of print, plus range of material mimics is quite impressive. Particularly it’s materials and ability to incorporate numerous materials in the same build. The characteristics of these new print materials is the real story. Going from hard, durable plastics to rubber. These are mimics of materials that are used in consumer products. This in it’s self really makes 3D printing more viable as a producer of consumer goods, as opposed to a prototype fabricator. If they make a consumer sized machine it will be able to produce more useful items than what is currently available from low end 3D printers. Most of what I would like to use these printers for would fall into this type of printer. The vast majority of items that I would like to produce fall into the metal sintering type machines. These spear to be mainly industrial in scale at this moment, but the article did state a machine capable of making jewelry with precious metals. If this would fall into consumer sizes and prices, it would be intstrumentsl for my business applications that I envision. It could also make far more useful items for the day to day consumer, or small business. Hopefully we will see this soon.

]]> By: Gorden Russell http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62756 Gorden Russell Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:12:03 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62756 I like the sound of that Foye. I like the sound of that Foye.

]]> By: Foye Lowe http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62743 Foye Lowe Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:48:17 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62743 The potential for the basic idea of additive construction, layer by layer or ion by ion, is awesome, particularly once a nano-scale technique is perfected. Perhaps it's time for a new name. 3D compilers? The potential for the basic idea of additive construction, layer by layer or ion by ion, is awesome, particularly once a nano-scale technique is perfected. Perhaps it’s time for a new name. 3D compilers?

]]> By: Gorden Russell http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62679 Gorden Russell Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:22:45 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62679 Yes, a great article, thanks, Amara. Just imagine how advanced 3D printers will be by the year 2025, when NASA expects to rendezvous with an asteroid. These printers will certainly be used for manufacturing in orbit and on the moon. Yes, a great article, thanks, Amara.

Just imagine how advanced 3D printers will be by the year 2025, when NASA expects to rendezvous with an asteroid. These printers will certainly be used for manufacturing in orbit and on the moon.

]]> By: GatorALLin http://www.kurzweilai.net/next-years-3d-printers/comment-page-1#comment-62642 GatorALLin Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:26:20 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=173260#comment-62642 Great article, love the info (wish there were more direct links for things like pricing and websites). Great article, love the info (wish there were more direct links for things like pricing and websites).

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