The next big thing

No one saw the Internet coming or how it would completely change every facet of our lives. Could this be the next technological revolution:

Desktop Metal – remember the name. This Massachussetts company is preparing to turn manufacturing on its head, with a 3D metal printing system that’s so much faster, safer and cheaper than existing systems that it’s going to compete with traditional mass manufacturing processes. We’ve been hearing for years now about 3D printing and how it’s going to revolutionize manufacturing. As yet, though, it’s still on the periphery.
Plenty of design studios and even home users run desktop printers, but the only affordable printing materials are cheap ABS plastics. And at the other end of the market, while organizations like NASA and Boeing are getting valuable use out of laser-melted metal printing, it’s a very slow and expensive process that doesn’t seem to scale well

But a very exciting company out of Massachusetts, headed by some of the guys who came up with the idea of additive manufacture in the first place, believes it’s got the technology and the machinery to boost 3D printing into the big time, for real.

revolution-green.com...

a reply to: dfnj2015

Would like to see this technology come to fruition on a big scale.

I'd love to have a fully 3d printed crate engine. Drop a viable V8 in my puny little car.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Shoot, $120k is a little out of my price range.

Very cool though, and versitile -

The metals arrive in rod form, bound to a polymer binding agent and shipped in cartridges. But there’s a ton of metal options – basically anything you can use in a Metal Injection Molding (MIM) system. That includes 4140 chromoly steel, aluminum, copper, bronze, a range of stainless steels, Hiperco 50 magnetic, titanium, and more than 200 other alloys.

I remember having a conversation with my father about 2 years ago, about how they could 3D print with titanium.
As a man who has spent his life around machinery, indeed 40 years devoted to a career in mechanics, it tickles me hot pink to recall the amazement in his eyes when I proved it to him with video.

And tonight, I can't wait to see his face when he sees this

This is going to save taxpayers so much money just in the military.

We're already working to bring 3D printing to the user level. Now we'll be able to jump ahead to metal printing?

It's going to be amazing.

originally posted by: watchitburn
This is going to save taxpayers so much money just in the military.

We're already working to bring 3D printing to the user level. Now we'll be able to jump ahead to metal printing?

It's going to be amazing.

Well, just like manufacturing in China, I doubt military contractors will reduce their cost+ contracts. I think these devices will just make them more profitable.

However, for the private sector consumer, share 3D metal printers in a community could eliminate most of the inventory housed in Walmart. That would be revolutionary.

a reply to: dfnj2015

No, we're going to have our own.

We won't need contractors. This is General Dunford's initiative. It's already in motion.

a reply to: scojak

I hate your avatar pic. It's so annoying.

This is pure gold. Anyone can manufacture now. Can you imagine the commerce? Hey bill, who lives in Kansas, I need you to print 50 of these products, jerry from Texas will handle the rest, ship them to Florida where Jill can finish them off with her team.

I've always believed this would hit fruitition, especially here in the US. I akin it to, Advance Manufacturing.

This is good as well, as it takes a direct swing to cheap human labor that countries such as china, have.

We don't have to buy cheap products from china, we'll just print them here.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: dfnj2015

No, we're going to have our own.

We won't need contractors. This is General Dunford's initiative. It's already in motion.

True but this is disastrous, Think about The taxes man the Taxes!!!!! Poor uncle sam will have to get crafty to squeeze everything out of you.

Taxing raw goods is not as profitable as charging the end product.


For example to build a truck lets say costs 25K , however they sell for 75K . If you were able to build your own truck you merely spent 25K versus the 75K the consumer was willing to bare . Uncle Sam will miss a big piece of the pie, they lost 50K of taxable income.

Interesting times. 3d printing will be a huge impact to society for sure and it will be a next big thing. However, I think we have maybe another 20-50 years before it becomes that big thing.Its not just due to technology but hungry politicians and corporations trying to slow it down once they realize the impact to them and their industry. Kinda like the Internet where they finally figured it out and now they are undoing net neutrality principles to get back control of it.

This will create an interesting cat and mouse game for the taxes between the crapiticians and the consumers.

originally posted by: interupt42

...For example to build a truck lets say costs 25K , however they sell for 75K . If you were able to build your own truck you merely spent 25K versus the 75K the consumer was willing to bare . Uncle Sam will miss a big piece of the pie, they lost 50K of taxable income.

This may open up a whole new argument into patent rights.

For example, a large chunk of the 50K you mentioned is the cost of the research and development (R&D), plus the other institutional costs, it took to produce that 75K truck in the first place. The consumer price for a product always figures in the research, development, and overhead costs of that product -- not just the actual material and labor costs to manufacture the product.

But if 3D printing technology gets good enough to be able to replicate some of those products (avoiding the R&D costs, because the R&D has already been done by the patent holder), the patent holder might have an argument that a consumer producing a 3D printed replica of a product on his own -- even if it's for that consumer's own use -- might violate patent laws.

The patent holder could argue that they spent all of that up-front R&D money, but the consumer bypassed that by copying the product.

I admit that this is only a problem when large-scale 3D printing becomes ubiquitous; a craftsman copying a patented product today on a small scale would be too inconsequential to be an issue.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

This may open up a whole new argument into patent rights.

absolutely, What about modifications?Then lets not forget the copy rights that have been put on DVD sales, will those be applied? Can you make copies and will you really own the end product?

One thing is for sure , lawyers will be salivating .

Also lets not forget the CLOUD. The cloud is about getting the consumer to pay for services for infinity. So will you have to pay a monthly charge as well to continue to use the end product?

Like I said in my previous post the delay on this will not be technology but rather politics and greedy fingers trying to make sure they get as much as possible from the consumer . I

t will also take some time for the GOP and DNC to come up with a way to polarize this into politics .

a reply to: Arnie123

My thoughts exactly. Design target to the local culture will become highly specialized. This will create much better jobs than doing line work in factory. Manufacturing will be more like the publishing industry.

originally posted by: CreationBro
a reply to: dfnj2015

Would like to see this technology come to fruition on a big scale.

I'd love to have a fully 3d printed crate engine. Drop a viable V8 in my puny little car.

Love this 3D printer !
I've built many V8's and had them in
a variety of cars but what you'd really want is this !
www.greencarreports.com...

originally posted by: dfnj2015

originally posted by: watchitburn
This is going to save taxpayers so much money just in the military.

We're already working to bring 3D printing to the user level. Now we'll be able to jump ahead to metal printing?

It's going to be amazing.

Well, just like manufacturing in China, I doubt military contractors will reduce their cost+ contracts. I think these devices will just make them more profitable.

However, for the private sector consumer, share 3D metal printers in a community could eliminate most of the inventory housed in Walmart. That would be revolutionary.

The military are already using these systems. If they want to export a missile component, engine block, or other spare part, there is a whole load of paperwork they have to fill in. However, if they just export raw pellets or a basic metal block and then do the 3D printing or CNC cutting over there, there is no paperwork.

Designers don't need to buy 3D printers either. They can use a company like shapeways.com to handle the 3D printing, packaging and delivery. The designer only needs to supply the geometry files.

Decoder wheel pendant:
www.shapeways.com...

Or "Secret" Ear-rings
www.shapeways.com...

Anyone can download Blender, make some 3D models and put them online.

a reply to: dfnj2015

I think you just hit the nail square on the head with this:

Manufacturing will be more like the publishing industry.

That's exactly what I see coming too, there will be companies popping up like ASCAP but these new ones will be for the patent holders of machinery, products, etc... who will be charging a fee for use of every design they can slam into a database. I would bet that in the not too distant future (if they don't already) the printers will have reporting features that notify copyright/patent holders' agencies when the firmware of the printer recognizes a design being input. That report will send you a bill or a shut your printer down. I also see a thriving cottage industry of hackers unlocking these things like they did the early smart phones.

With the "internet of things", short of using your new printer in a Faraday Cage (and even that can be overcome) or having a buddy who can tweak the firmware into thinking that Lamborghini V-16 engine you're printing is really a spoon, you can bet the politicians and lawyers will make sure their MIC buddies get their pound of flesh.

ETA: I actually think it's fair that the designer/patent holder gets paid, if there is commercial viability left in the design (anything over 20 years should be excluded), they did spend lots of money in most cases coming up with it and should get the ROI they deserve.

That said, you can count on them going after anything they think they can squeeze a nickel out of.

a reply to: dfnj2015

I actually work for GE (General Electric) and we have had that technology at our facility for over 4yrs (additive manufacturing)... its amazing!!
To see lasers turn fine metal powder into a solid object is quite mind blowing.. although it takes about 3 days to manufacture a part the size of a computer mouse. It's detail and intricacy is incomparable to anything in previous methods of metal fabrication.

kinda makes you wonder did humans really invent such a technology?? or were we taught by "something" far more advanced??


[yvid]

I always dreamt of making my own model engines without big machinery. Now I can customize my little RCs to have a real lambo sound, like researching and trying different dimensions for the sounds. =) In 6 7 years these machines will cost 500 bucks at most. A great retirement is waiting for us modellers =)

a reply to: Springer

Its going to be like Itunes yes =) One listen = print : a little price or free for us maybe but profit for the plan provider =)

@Springer....
Never Gonna Happen

PPL Allways find the way around...

Dont have to go over, or thru anything.
Theres allways a way AROUND...