Can 3D printers solve our parts problem?
 

Does anyone here have access to a 3D scanner? If so, we could send rare/NLA hard to find parts to him/her for scanning into vector images. The images could be stored in an image library on this site. Anyone in need of a part could download the scanned image and pay someone with a 3D printer to print it out. Who likes this idea?

My school has about 10 3D printers and several 3D scanners as well.

The real issue will be metallurgy, especially with engine parts. That and size. Most 3D scanners can only do about toaster-sized pieces, and even that size would be extremely expensive.

3D Scanning
 

Let's say I wanted to scan the radio surround from an '84-'85 FB. They are getting impossible to find in good condition. Most have the bottom screw holes cracked off. That's a pretty long piece. It doesn't need to be printed in metal. What would you estimate the cost of scanning to be? How much do you think it would be to print out a part like that? What about scanning the emblems? Can those be scanned and printed for less than the $70 that new ones cost?

I'm really just thinking out loud here.

you can still buy that thing new, FA57-55-210B-07, its expensive, but probably cheaper than 3D printing.

i do think 3d printing will be really good for interior parts in the future though

Can you quantify "expensive"? For example, the radio surround mentioned above.

this came up among my engineering friends, and something like the radio surround is $1000-$2000, so its not economical, in fact they'd probably get fired.

plus the finish of a 3d printed acrylic part isn't OEM.

3d printing in other materials is different

The possibilties are endless with this technology..

Give it a few more years and the technology will have doubled, and the price made much more affordable for even more complex forms to be made.

All first gen rx7 parts scanned for this use should be open-source!

We have a 3d printer and the plastic is really cheap. I think we could do it pretty cheap if our printer was big enough to handle that part, and we had the time to do it, which we don't.

Also, the type we have will need significant touch up after the part is made to be usable. Resolution is in the .020" - .030" range, which isn't that great, hence the cheapness.

Maybe we need to find someone who is able to start scanning the parts anyway. When the printing technology improves and comes down in price we would have a library of parts images ready to print.

It would be pretty sweet to have some of this move forward, some good concepts here :icon_tup:

Well the one at my old school was, I believe, $30/cubic inch of material. That's at cost since it's a university. Something the size of a radio surround would probably be $100, but that would be very low quality, fragile plaster-type print. When I get to u-mich, I can see what's up. I'm trying to get a work study position in the fab shop...


http://www.jwselfdesign.com/static/venice/robot.jpg

We've 3 of those. :)

What would really be excellent, would be to turn up someone with access to a 5-axis CNC mill.

Imagine stereo and shift surrounds made from billet aluminum. Never crack again.

Yeah, we've got one of those, too. And several 3 axis, not to mention the three 7-axis robots. And about a dozen laser cutters.

From my experience with digital-fabrication, one of the more economical methods is to CNC Styrofoam and use that as a mold. Generally, if you get a good closed-cell foam, you can get pretty high resolution results on a 5-axis mill. Use that as a plug and make a mold, and voila, instant parts! I've never cast plastic though, so I'm not sure how to achieve oem-quality finish.

the R100 has a metal center console thing, and its pretty neat.

You can get OEM quality finishes using silicone molds taken directly from an original (no milling process), but that limits you to non-pressurized casting techniques rather than injection molding, & that means either very carefully-vented molds or vacuum-chambering to prevent bubbles. Silicone will withstand even some low-melt-temp pourable metals, but injection casting requires rigid molds.

I've heard of foam cores used for sand-casting aluminum and iron, similar to lost-wax casting where the foam plug just gets burned away by the molten metal. Wasn't aware that foam was accurately machinable for original positives, though.

& sand-casting even with ultra-fine sands will not get you a truly smooth finish.

I've only ever worked with plaster, so I don't know too much, and my experience usually starts with a 3D model made in Rhino and then computer fabricated with the machines.

Divin: I just read your raised from the dead headlight bushing thread. Those bushings seem like a perfect trial project for the 3d printing process. They are small and don't need to be made of metal. Perhaps you can get a set to Starfox for scanning. There seem to be commercial ventures that print in a variety of materials.

i was talking to an engineer friend yesterday, and apparently you 3D print the MOLD and then cast the new plastic parts.

Yep. 3D printing finished parts is prohibitively expensive for the time being.

the time isn't quite right yet, but the good news is that i have a huge stash of NOS interior stuff, so finding parts to mold from isn't a problem

I have done some 3-D printing for engineering design classes. It is an expensive procedure, and has lead to political issues among our engineering departments. Apparently professors printing off LOTS of parts for pointless reasons is frowned upon. Don't worry, my tuition / fees will pay for your parts!

Anyways, our FSAE team uses it all of the time. They just raced with a very nice 3-D printed intake manifold, but I believe it came from an off campus sponsor due to its size and composition. Our machine is limited to around 10" x 10" x 10", or something like that.

This technology will make the production of parts substantially easier, and should reduce in costs drastically as it becomes more widely used.

Unfortunately, plastic is our best and worst invention of all time.

who will be the first to print a titanium rotor? someone I know from school is doctor in polymers and they can selective laser sinter titanium alloys.. maybe I should ask if a big part as a rotor is possible and what about strength and fatigue.

I heard inconel 625 should also be possible.. some fancy exh sleeves anyone? :D

regardless forming a data base of vector scans (occasionally updated with higher resolution as technology developts) would be great! especially for us pre Rx-7 guys!

i sometimes evny how i can buy literally anything for my 1971 bmw 2002 brandnew from bmw still... but mazda... ha no

Can 3d Printing Solve our parts problems?
 

A rotor sounds big, heavy and expensive with a huge risk of losing your money if it fails or just isn't quite right.

I'd be happy if I could get someone to scan and print the bezel that surrounds the ignition switch cylinder. Its a small part, cost would be low, no serious structural demands on it. Sounds like the perfect starter project. Who can lend an intact bezel to someone with scanner access?

Yes yes yes...bezels, headlight bracket bushings and a pillar gague clusters plz...this would be awesome! Titanium rotor would be sweet if it was done right..