3D Printing is getting there.

[Diogenes]

Printing metal in midair






http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/257

[DeltaV]

http://lewisgroup.seas.harvard.edu/publications

[Diogenes]

How Do We Move from Metal Rapid Prototyping to Metal Additive Manufacturing?

The paragon example now used to demonstrate the power that metal 3D printing can bring to manufacturers is the 3D-printed fuel nozzle for the LEAP jet engine, developed through a joint venture between GE and Snecma called CFM International. By redesigning the nozzle for AM, CFM was able to consolidate 18 different components into a single part. Moreover, the redesign has been estimated to reduce fuel costs and, therefore, CO2 emissions by 15 percent.

http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3 ... uring.aspx


A Sh*t I do not give about your C02 emissions, but reducing fuel usage is a worthy goal.

[Tom Ligon]

A company I worked for was doing metal additive manufacturing back in the '80's. Alas, we were under the impression that plasma spray had been around for a long time.

We were plasma-spraying titanium alloys. I called it the worst hard-facing method ever. We deliberately created a porous coating on the bonding surfaces of medical implants, so that bone would grow into it. It works ... we went broke when our patents were invalidated, but the method is still in use.

I've noted with some amusement that additive manufacturing is ancient. Pottery, bricklaying, and almost any form of casting qualifies.

The metal "printing" methods are cool, but I think the real strength of the idea will be in creating unique forms from multiple materials simultaneously. Merely making shapes out of plastic snot has never impressed me ... injection molding does that better and faster. Making hollow 3D structures composed of metal, high strength fibers, and resins ... now there you're going places where no existing time-worn method can go.

[ladajo]

It is not going to be useful for manufacturing, until we figure out how to do cost effective high volume. 3D print (additive manufacturing) remains for now great for one off, or low count needs. I see a use for it in parts generation for automotive (especially restoration work), or exotic machinery.
Now, if we could get a non-cost prohibitive multimaterial unit into private homes and small businesses, then the real market is in selling the supplies and files to make the pieces-parts in a distributed manufacturing footprint that would create useful demand volume needs.

The other place this has utility is for military self-repair. As, and I know, is being looked at hard.